EMERGENCY MINCEMEAT

I had an urge to bake some mince pies, something you never see here in France except amongst the British ex-pats.  The French don't understand them, you certainly never see them in the shops and jars of mincemeat are virtually impossible to find unless very occasionally on the "English shelf" in some supermarkets (at an outrageous price).  Another ingredient hard to find is suet, or at least not in the form that we know it.  You can get lumps of fat to grate yourself from the butcher if you ask in advance!  (Or do what most ex-pats do and bring it back from visits to the UK!)

The urgent need was spurred on by the discovery of a set of Christmas cake decoration cutters in the bottom of a drawer, a rogue purchase from many years ago that had never been used.  Perfect for the pastry tops of mince pies as well as fondant icing!

So I looked for a recipe that I could adapt using what I had in stock.  You can buy delicious candied peel here but all of mine had gone into the Christmas cake so I used the zest of two clementines instead.  For the alcohol content I used Armagnac which we had bought to "water" the Christmas cake, not being brandy drinkers ourselves.

I adapted Mary Berry's recipe which you can see here which neatly makes four regular sized jam jars of mincemeat which will keep for several months.  It improves with keeping but some went into the pies straight away which were delicious and satisfied the urgent need for them!

Ingredients 

175g each of

    currants

    raisins

    sultanas

    dried cranberries

100g mixed peel or the zest of 1 small orange/2 clementines instead 

1 small apple peeled and finely chopped

50g chopped almonds

225g light muscovado sugar (or other brown sugar)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

zest and juice of 1 lemon

125g butter, cubed or sliced

200ml brandy, rum, sherry or Armagnac

Method 

Put all of the ingredients except for the alcohol into a large saucepan and heat gently until the butter has melted.  Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring frequently so it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely before stirring in the alcohol.

While the mincemeat is cooking then cooling sterilise your jars.  Wash the jars and lids then rinse well in hot water, shaking off the water rather than using a tea towel.  Place onto a baking sheet then into the oven  set to 160°C and leave for 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and fill with the mincemeat while the jars are still warm.

Makes 4 jars of mincemeat which will keep for several months.

CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY CAKE and a tale of more haste, less speed

More haste, less speed, is a saying my mum used often.  What it means is that doing something in a rush will take you longer in the end because things go wrong and you have to re-do them.  I have found it to be very true!

On a beautiful, warm and sunny autumn day I had baking to do.  I thought that if I got a move on there would still be time to do some gardening or sit out in the sunshine but then things went wrong……

The first thing to go wrong was a simple chocolate cake; wrong size tin and wrong flour.  (French flours do not work the same as British flours.)  The sponges were flat and sad looking.  Had it been just for us I would have used them but it had been requested as a birthday gift so I remade it using Mary Berry's recipe for a chocolate sandwich cake and some of my stash of Homepride flour.  (The first set of sponges now resides in my freezer and will be used in future for something like a chocolate trifle.)

The second was in making some Parkin which I had also promised to someone else.  With a double batch in the oven and finally sitting out in the sunshine with my mug of tea I had one of those nagging doubts and went back inside to consult the recipe.  I had forgotten to put in the bicarbonate of soda. By now the Parkin had been in the oven for ten minutes and was just beginning to set.

I hesitated for a second but realised I could end up with two trays of flapjack if I didn't do something about it.  So quick as a flash, between us we scraped the mixture out of the tins and into a bowl.  I sprinkled two teaspoons of bicarb over the top and Nick used my biggest wooden spoon and a lot of muscle to beat like hell and mix it in.  We dolloped it back into the tins and put it back in the oven for the rest of the baking time.  It turned out fine!  You can see the Parkin recipe here.

As we finally sat outside in the last of the afternoon sunshine with a glass of something to calm my nerves I could hear my mum whispering "more haste, less speed!" in my ear and see her cheeky smile.  It’s almost twenty three years since she died and I miss her and her little sayings every day!

The cake went down well with the birthday girl.  Having made one before I knew it would be a lovely soft sponge and I decorated it with my standard chocolate buttercream recipe and a few girly sprinkles.

Curiously, when I looked for the recipe online I stumbled across a peculiar page on the Silver Spoon (sugar manufacturers) website comparing Mary Berry's recipe with Nigella's.  They reckon Nigella's was best!  You can see it here. What a very odd thing to have on a product website. I wonder what Mary would make of that!

Ingredients

For the cake

2 tblsp cocoa powder

3 tblsp boiling water

225g each of

    self raising flour

    caster sugar

    baking spread

1 level tsp baking powder

4 large eggs

For the icing

50g butter

150g icing sugar

1 tblsp cocoa powder

1 tblsp warm water

Method

To make the cake, grease and line the base of two deep 20cm sandwich tins.  Preheat the oven to 180c / 160 fan / gas mk4.

Blend the cocoa powder with the water in a large bowl and allow to cool slightly.  Add all the other cake ingredients and beat well with an electric whisk until nice and smooth.

Divide the mixture evenly between the two tins and bake for 25 minutes until done.  Leave in the tins for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the icing, beat the butter until soft then sift in the icing sugar a spoonful at a time and beat until smooth.  Mix the cocoa powder to a smooth paste with the water and beat into the mixture.

Use half of the icing to sandwich the sponges together and swirl the other half over the top.  

Decorate with your favourite sprinkles and candles.

Cuts into 10-12 slices.

PLUM AND ALMOND CAKE

I spotted a recipe in a lovey blog called "Katie Cakes" for a raspberry and almond cake and offered to take it as a dessert when invited out to lunch at a friend's house.  The host was delighted but then I discovered that I didn’t have the frozen raspberries in the freezer that I could have sworn were there!  Drat!

So I used some of my frozen cinnamon roasted plums instead!  Almond goes well with plums so I omitted the vanilla and replaced it with almond extract.

The mixture was fairly stiff which meant the fruit didn't sink to the bottom of the cake and stayed exactly where I wanted it - as a layer in the middle.  It was a huge cake and rose almost to the top of the tin.  

It was absolutely delicious and the kind of cake where a small slice was definitely enough.  It would probably work well using a slightly larger tin.

I forgot to dust it with icing sugar until I was taking pictures of the leftovers at home.  That definitely made it look more glamorous - not that it needed it.  I kept the remaining cake in the fridge and it still tasted fresh several days later when I took it round to another friend's house for coffee.  Definitely a keeper and you can see the recipe here.

Ingredients

250g each of:

    unsalted butter, softened (I used baking spread)

    caster sugar

    self raising flour

    ground almonds

2 large eggs (mine were very small so I used 3)

1 tsp almond extract

250g cooked plums, stoned and halved (see recipe here)

2 tblsp flaked almonds

Method

Preheat the oven to 185°C / 175° fan.  Grease and line the base of a 20cm round springform cake tin.

Put the butter, sugar, flour, almonds, eggs and extract into a large bowl and beat well with a hand held electric whisk until well blended (or use a stand mixer).

Spoon roughly half of the mixture into the prepared tin and arrange the cooked plums over the top.

Carefully spoon the remaining mixture over the plums and spread out evenly.  Scatter the flaked almonds over the top.

Bake for 55-65 minutes until done, covering loosely with foil about half way through to prevent the cake from browning too much.

Cool in the tin.  Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Cuts into 10 generous slices.

VEGAN LEMON CAKE

This vegan cake was easy to make and looked lovely when iced.  You can see the recipe I used here.  I was interested in some of the comments which suggested that people use vegan recipes if they want to make a cake but have no eggs or butter in the house. 

I made it for a cake sale and it sold out.

Frequently I don't get to taste a cake that I have made for an event but I snuck a slice of this one because I was curious to know how it tasted and was delighted to find that it was perfectly delicious.   I don't think I have ever been without eggs and butter in the house and therefore the means to bake a cake!  However, it's so easy to make that I would definitely make it again, not just to provide something vegan but because it's really, really good!  

At some point in the future I might also try using GF flour, as suggested in the online recipe, which would be good for vegans and those who are gluten intolerant.

Finally, I couldn’t resist sharing some pictures of the fabulous sunsets we’ve been having recently.

Ingredients 

For the cake

275g self raising flour

200g caster sugar

1 tsp baking powder

zest of 1 lemon

juice of ½ a lemon

100ml vegetable oil

170ml cold water

For the icing

150g icing sugar

juice of ½ a lemon

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180° fan / gas mk 6.  Grease and line a loaf tin* or use a paper liner.

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder and lemon zest).

Add the oil, lemon juice and water and mix together until smooth.

Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 30 minutes or until done.  Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

When the cake is cool, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add enough lemon juice to make a spreadable icing.  Pour onto the cake and spread over the top.  

Decorate with more lemon zest, sprinkles or edible flowers if you wish.

Cuts into 8-10 slices.

*The recipe online said to use a 1lb loaf tin.  I think there was probably too much mixture for that.  

I used a 2lb (900g) French loaf tin which is slightly longer and slimmer than an English one and the cake was plenty deep enough.  Next time I might use a 20cm round tin.

GLUTEN FREE LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE

Who doesn't love a lemon drizzle cake?

They are always immensely popular at cake stalls.

I made this gluten free version recently for a cake stall at a local village event and it sold really well.

The recipe comes from a handy little book called "200 gluten free recipes" published by Hamlyn.  It lists using brown rice flour but I used Doves Farm gluten free self raising flour with a little extra GF baking powder.

It was a simple, all-in-one kind of recipe, dead easy to make, and looked stunning.  I wouldn't normally include lemon zest in the drizzle, just lemon juice, but it looked great and was very lemony.  I don't often get to taste the cakes given for a cake stall but I was keen to try this one.  The recipe made a huge cake and with the lemon zest in the drizzle did not need any further adornment.  Definitely a keeper of a recipe and one to use again.

Ingredients

For the cake

250g butter, softened, or baking spread

250g caster sugar

250g gluten free self raising flour

3/4 tsp gluten free baking powder

4 eggs, beaten

1 lemon, zest and juice

For the topping

100g granulated sugar

2 lemons, zest and juice

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160° fan / gas mk 4.  Butter a large, 2lb/900g loaf tin or use a paper liner.

Place all the cake ingredients into a large bowl and beat together with a hand held electric whisk until well combined and fluffy.

Spoon the mixture into the tin and level the top.  Tap on the worktop a few times to release any trapped air.

Bake for 40-50 minutes until golden brown and firm.  Remove from the oven and prick all over with a skewer, cake tester or cocktail stick.

To make the drizzle mix the lemon zest, juice and sugar together in a small bowl.  Spoon the drizzle evenly over the cake and leave it to cool in the tin.

Cuts into 10-12 generous slices.

GLUTEN FREE BANANA AND WALNUT CAKE

In making cakes for a recent cake stall I took on the task of baking for people who like a slice of cake but need it to be gluten free.  This banana and walnut cake turned out really well using Doves Farm gluten free flour.

I didn't get to taste it but it smelled lovely when baked and it seemed nice and moist when I sliced it to serve to customers.  Sometimes gluten free cakes can seem a bit dry and crumbly.  Doves Farm gluten free self raising flour already contains xantham gum, something which helps to avoid the sandy, crumbly texture.

I do worry a bit when making gluten free cakes.  Being a vegan seems to me to be a voluntary lifestyle choice but requiring a gluten free diet is a serious health issue and it only takes a small amount of contamination to make people quite poorly.  Consequently I always bake gluten free cakes using a brand new pack of butter and sugar, to make sure there has been no accidental dipping of a spoon used for ordinary flour into an opened pack.  I also made sure there were separate knives and tongs for serving the gluten free and the vegan cakes, something that can be easily overlooked and cause problems.

It was an easy cake to make and it sold well.  I adapted a recipe on the website "Coeliac by Design".

Ingredients

For the cake

140g butter, softened, or baking spread

140g caster sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 large eggs, beaten

140g gluten free self raising flour

2 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

50g chopped walnuts

For the topping

1 tblsp demerara sugar

banana chips or walnut halves to decorate

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160° fan / gas mk4.  Butter and line a 2lb/900g loaf tin or use a paper liner.

Put all the cake ingredients into a large bowl and beat together with a hand held electric mixer until well combined.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top.  Sprinkle over the demerara sugar and decorate with the walnut halves or banana chips.

Bake for 40-50 minutes until done.  Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before carefully lifting out (GF cakes can be slightly fragile) onto a cooling rack.

Cuts into 8-10 slices.

VEGAN BANANA AND WALNUT CAKE

There is an annual autumn event in a nearby village that requires a few cakes, raising a good amount of funds for the village entertainment committee.  The French it seems are fascinated by, and very fond of, English baking.

For a few years now I have been contributing a cake or three and for the last two years braved the selling of cakes which requires a certain amount of French speaking.  It was challenging at times but light hearted and fun until last year when my friend and I were chastised in French by a couple of ladies asking for vegan cakes.  We didn't have any.  

All the cakes are donations towards village funds by local people, mostly English.  The classic English cakes are usually the best sellers and for the last two years everything sold out down to the last crumb.

This encounter with the two vegan ladies stung a bit.  On the day they opted for a slice of gluten free cake as if that would do instead and there is often a selection of those to choose from.  So, this year I decided to try to redress the balance by making a couple of vegan cakes.  Then at least we could say we had had some even if they had sold out by the time the two vegan ladies turned up!  As my friend said, you can't control who buys them and some none vegans will try a slice just to see what they're like!  

I opted for easy recipes and discovered that it essentially requires oil instead of eggs and butter with maybe a bit of extra baking powder.  I was surprised how good this one looked and it smelled divine (as banana cakes usually do).  I didn't get to taste it but it sold well.  You can see the recipe I adapted here.

Ingredients 

3 ripe bananas, peeled

75ml vegetable oil (I used sunflower)

100g soft light brown sugar

225g plain flour

3 tsp baking powder

3 tsp ground cinnamon (or mixed spice)

50 chopped walnuts 

walnut halves or banana chips to decorate

1 tblsp demerara sugar (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 200° / 180° fan / gas mk 6.  Oil a 2lb/900g loaf tin or put in a paper liner.

In a large bowl, mash the peeled bananas.  Add the oil and sugar and mix well.

Sift in the flour, cinnamon and baking powder and mix well.  Add the chopped walnuts and mix well.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top.  Add walnut halves or banana chips to decorate.  Sprinkle over the demerara sugar if using.

Bake for 20 minutes and cover loosely with foil if the cake is already nice and brown to prevent scorching.  Bake for another 20-30 minutes until done.

Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

Cuts into 8-10 slices.