tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38966427942076315232024-03-18T11:49:51.334+00:00A SLICE OF CAKEcakes and more from both sides of the English ChannelJeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.comBlogger535125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-12261667163834775092024-02-28T12:20:00.001+00:002024-02-28T14:22:14.552+00:00SUNDAY DINNER SOUP (soup maker recipe)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-I_-IM7G28UCt-HvceUoSfCLJcXXi-LzPsYn04b3LIsF5vpJbSNP1J8oCB0bwy4nUmOwwDex6A6xF2yBVuqSclobfxb6AbQZqAF4yIO-JKbc0rf88hbXwFrWLHZu9F8Y9xsb3kHVZNvh0-phQbBASNYCkciN5Y9GwkeWxemUlUuMz-1ytt3t5RYFoghE/s448/sunday%20dinner%20soup.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="448" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-I_-IM7G28UCt-HvceUoSfCLJcXXi-LzPsYn04b3LIsF5vpJbSNP1J8oCB0bwy4nUmOwwDex6A6xF2yBVuqSclobfxb6AbQZqAF4yIO-JKbc0rf88hbXwFrWLHZu9F8Y9xsb3kHVZNvh0-phQbBASNYCkciN5Y9GwkeWxemUlUuMz-1ytt3t5RYFoghE/w500-h345/sunday%20dinner%20soup.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">We are very much fans of Sunday Dinner Pie in this house. It's very similar to Christmas Dinner Pie which I wrote about<a href="https://bakinginfranglais.blogspot.com/2016/12/christmas-dinner-pie.html" target="_blank"> here.</a></p><p>Last weekend we roasted a small joint of loin of pork in our usual way, which is in a covered roasting tin, sitting on a layer of sliced onions and covered with a herb crust (breadcrumbs with a few added mixed herbs). We are not fans of pork crackling on account of it being "rather bad for you"!</p><p>Afterwards there were two small slices of pork, two potatoes and a few florets of broccoli and cauliflower left over, but no gravy. Gravy is an essential element of Sunday Dinner Pie so I decided to turn the leftovers into soup instead.</p><p>It was delicious and quite thick because of the quantity of leftover potatoes but none the worse for that. If I didn't own a soup maker I probably would have persevered with the pie option, making some extra gravy and using ready made pastry, or maybe turned it into some kind of gratin, or had a roast pork salad with the potatoes and discarded the rather tired looking veg. Or, perish the thought, maybe even a roast pork sandwich and discarded everything else. This was probably the easiest and quickest option that made use of all the leftovers.</p><p>It would probably work with any leftover roast meat.</p><p><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></p><p>2 slices of roast pork (with any attached herb crumb) chopped</p><p>1 onion (use the one that had been roasted with the meat if you have it)</p><p>leftover potatoes and veg</p><p>1 large carrot</p><p>1 small potato</p><p>1 leek</p><p>1 garlic and thyme stock pot (or a veg stock cube)</p><p>a splash of dry sherry (optional)</p><p><b><u>Method</u></b></p><p>Peel and roughly chop the carrot and put it in a layer in the bottom of the soup maker. Put the Sunday dinner leftovers on top and then add enough prepared leek and potato to fill to the bottom line.</p><p>Add the stock pot or cube and enough water to fill to the top line.</p><p>Cook on smooth. Stir the sherry into the finished soup.</p><p>Makes 4 generous servings.</p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-61461408004306742502024-02-20T09:37:00.002+00:002024-02-25T08:39:34.709+00:00DATE AND BANANA MINI MUFFINS<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynKD_KDm9McV-vEoKjYkpSavBtWVqAJQU5MjbJsNF7b5lvhQFFCtSJ8gkrlybNKEpcbf9m98DlY3gGpoXSTPirlikIxeGZi9xujk8EMUKw8BMosqGYs-DwvJn3HyRp3shbiWL645is43GV_jtwCAWkptxhMaxujbKAa4KnARJpvyEfhZsGkDeG-L1IYI/s448/date%20and%20banana%20muffins3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="448" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynKD_KDm9McV-vEoKjYkpSavBtWVqAJQU5MjbJsNF7b5lvhQFFCtSJ8gkrlybNKEpcbf9m98DlY3gGpoXSTPirlikIxeGZi9xujk8EMUKw8BMosqGYs-DwvJn3HyRp3shbiWL645is43GV_jtwCAWkptxhMaxujbKAa4KnARJpvyEfhZsGkDeG-L1IYI/w501-h357/date%20and%20banana%20muffins3.JPG" width="501" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With my part used packet of chopped dates and a couple of tired bananas I hankered after making something quick and easy. I have used<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/easiest_ever_banana_cake_42108" target="_blank"> this recipe</a> for banana loaf before and followed the tips at the end of the recipe to add some chopped dates. This time I made mini muffins instead. They are a nice bite sized treat, easy to hand round to a group of people.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhxfpThj5vAKbN5J86lr4ntR9bh7wv4-zJTJybR0BgwxRzcwRBEwryxMnPT-6fimR9Qa6_2ME1AZ_BCaQfkAmqpCMFiEL1oCTQYgHJIKhvkgYIMgRb539NOWkZn0hWt5cr8DI1__ZwwdJrPnqC9i72dcOuPJY8QpbpIeg2meDGuSBGpalgQ5bGzo9qvU/s419/date%20and%20banana%20muffins2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="419" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhxfpThj5vAKbN5J86lr4ntR9bh7wv4-zJTJybR0BgwxRzcwRBEwryxMnPT-6fimR9Qa6_2ME1AZ_BCaQfkAmqpCMFiEL1oCTQYgHJIKhvkgYIMgRb539NOWkZn0hWt5cr8DI1__ZwwdJrPnqC9i72dcOuPJY8QpbpIeg2meDGuSBGpalgQ5bGzo9qvU/w424-h341/date%20and%20banana%20muffins2.JPG" width="424" /></a></p><p>They were well risen, nicely spiced and not too sweet. I think that a bananaphobe would have not been too challenged - they were very moreish and even Nick liked them!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtr1UI3HemrxleQc5mvgYUSJX7Hsl5tC30Z-pYeuPg8tw9q7ro_SuqvggjHAB38PNZ1tdUjXiR3Jk6GR12K_C4KaCOq9zh1AL1sEx10rvQza2KgfE3vGVFKIyXW1c-stVD2l10vszY15IA5hsI6Ao4KzWpfZ26UC_upJqN3l-RppdtleA0SGj9g9Ya1w/s392/date%20and%20banana%20muffins4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="392" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtr1UI3HemrxleQc5mvgYUSJX7Hsl5tC30Z-pYeuPg8tw9q7ro_SuqvggjHAB38PNZ1tdUjXiR3Jk6GR12K_C4KaCOq9zh1AL1sEx10rvQza2KgfE3vGVFKIyXW1c-stVD2l10vszY15IA5hsI6Ao4KzWpfZ26UC_upJqN3l-RppdtleA0SGj9g9Ya1w/w434-h371/date%20and%20banana%20muffins4.JPG" width="434" /></a></p><p>There had been an unfortunate mishap with my brand new jar of English mixed spice the week before. Hard tiled floors are not very forgiving, spice and broken glass went everywhere. On the advice of a friend I replaced it with a French equivalent called "quatre épices". The spices are ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. I looked up the ingredients of British mixed spice and they have a very similar composition although also include coriander, which I usually associate with savoury dishes. Curious! The French version worked perfectly.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsccwAF8FQoN4GGQn7gH6dtgVrToJVZULzKAeezOFEPz9z-Uz6AQEpfFkn5a0eZeuA72l2inlFsXJN78BZJ9nIuNZsLkLfydWjy1DZlRSv9S_3H9byPPpz6GkYfa9ExrInzAEBCEHCnJaQJ9IsWL_7jhkNHDdcupQE3o2e0-fJPEbbO-MZFsu0PzRVBA/s427/date%20and%20banana%20muffins5.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="427" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsccwAF8FQoN4GGQn7gH6dtgVrToJVZULzKAeezOFEPz9z-Uz6AQEpfFkn5a0eZeuA72l2inlFsXJN78BZJ9nIuNZsLkLfydWjy1DZlRSv9S_3H9byPPpz6GkYfa9ExrInzAEBCEHCnJaQJ9IsWL_7jhkNHDdcupQE3o2e0-fJPEbbO-MZFsu0PzRVBA/w497-h364/date%20and%20banana%20muffins5.JPG" width="497" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">The quantity of mixture in the recipe made 48 mini muffins with some still some left over, so I made a few buns as well, which took a few minutes longer to bake. Definitely a recipe worth remembering if you're short of time but want no shortage of flavour!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHsCiGDyVD4NOrQh0ds8o6KxPiyxzhoF5VP5DCChDFO-cCPbeerdrfZX9_cVBoJpxXuPWU5gsMHrrcuFrzGi5enignJVlS1YspDEAvrE91PvGK7mqW2Pv9uVl7KRXNQCTAqKFHMy9QCnhmuQoQbkbEfdfY-NpkkoWZfhxNbqmcuqdG9T6vHN_07yxpQE/s4298/date%20and%20banana%20muffins6.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3570" data-original-width="4298" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHsCiGDyVD4NOrQh0ds8o6KxPiyxzhoF5VP5DCChDFO-cCPbeerdrfZX9_cVBoJpxXuPWU5gsMHrrcuFrzGi5enignJVlS1YspDEAvrE91PvGK7mqW2Pv9uVl7KRXNQCTAqKFHMy9QCnhmuQoQbkbEfdfY-NpkkoWZfhxNbqmcuqdG9T6vHN_07yxpQE/w570-h474/date%20and%20banana%20muffins6.JPG" width="570" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">The very pretty little cake stand came from a brocante shop in a nearby village. This place is actually an old barn stuffed with antique furniture, textiles, crockery and every imaginable kind of old or vintage household goods. Prices are not as cheap as at the average village flea market but affordable. This little cake stand was one of several that belonged to a huge set of matching crockery, a whole dinner service with numerous serving dishes, tureens and everything else that a large household might have. The only item of it that I wanted (although all of it was gorgeous) was one of these with the pretty bird and flowers. I think that had there only been one in the set the shopkeeper might have refused, but there were several so she was happy to sell me one.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></p><p style="text-align: left;">3 very ripe bananas, about 225g peeled weight</p><p style="text-align: left;">3 large eggs</p><p style="text-align: left;">100g light soft brown sugar</p><p style="text-align: left;">150ml vegetable oil (I used groundnut oil)</p><p style="text-align: left;">275g self raising flour</p><p style="text-align: left;">1 tsp mixed spice</p><p style="text-align: left;">1 tsp baking powder</p><p style="text-align: left;">a handful of chopped dates</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Method</u></b></p><p style="text-align: left;">Put the dates into a small bowl and just cover with boiling water. Set aside to cool.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°fan / gas mk 4. Grease the holes of two mini muffin tins.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Put the peeled bananas into a large bowl and mash roughly with a fork. Add the eggs, sugar and oil and whisk with an electric hand held whisk until well combined.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Add the flour, spice and baking powder and whisk again until just combined. Stir through the soaked dates including the liquid.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins. I used a mini ice cream scoop so that they were roughly even. Bake for 12-15 minutes until done. (The larger buns took 20 minutes). Cool in the tins for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Makes more than 48 mini muffins.</p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-7162555937651708952024-02-04T15:42:00.004+00:002024-02-06T07:57:51.839+00:00PARSNIP, DATE AND CLEMENTINE CAKE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRhLCK0mtn_F45bgguzVdUO1msaOT3_k8zjx04YF18QKpxl5W86QaoSotEq7okU8NKSy03i6bgEEGY4L4b4s7_YpuoLDTKz9vAAlZcaIPYikwQqygKcJI5fZ1zmSs7FAJA0XIDZKQN1l6TVAOQvf0ui8ZBr03svNQ9pIo8Cd_b6EI0daSZ50maRF2U-4/s448/parsnip,%20date%20and%20clementine%20cake.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="448" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRhLCK0mtn_F45bgguzVdUO1msaOT3_k8zjx04YF18QKpxl5W86QaoSotEq7okU8NKSy03i6bgEEGY4L4b4s7_YpuoLDTKz9vAAlZcaIPYikwQqygKcJI5fZ1zmSs7FAJA0XIDZKQN1l6TVAOQvf0ui8ZBr03svNQ9pIo8Cd_b6EI0daSZ50maRF2U-4/w500-h375/parsnip,%20date%20and%20clementine%20cake.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><br /><p>It's been a dull, grey weekend, the oven whispered "bake a cake" around lunchtime, and with a few parsnips lurking in the fridge, some lonely clementines in the fruit bowl and an unopened packet of chopped dates in the cupboard, a particular cake sprung to mind. It's many years since I made it and the original comes from one of my most favourite food blogs <a href="https://www.dominthekitchen.com/" target="_blank">written by Dominic Franks</a>. You can see the last time I made this cake to Dom's recipe <a href="https://bakinginfranglais.blogspot.com/2014/01/happy-new-year-and-healthy-start.html" target="_blank">here.</a></p><p>Several people expressed a certain amount of scepticism when I made a <a href="https://bakinginfranglais.blogspot.com/2023/12/parsnip-maple-syrup-and-walnut-bundt.html" target="_blank">cake using parsnips</a> a few weeks ago, but on actually tasting it "ate their words". Parsnips work just as well in a cake as do carrots, courgettes and other vegetables. (I draw the line at kale. The kale and apple cake I made a few years ago was truly horrible and I still shudder when I think about it!)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0OHVwNMaxuZLyQzWszX0bN1UsRzsUU5Sw2SVfGzI1nKq1KCjYHaLV6JPtQjpArz4LSrTK9OpGP5S26syQY_7fSahZNEIbcBssA3OxXmVxh-AaGLr9dUec8hRkp-Qli4PMYn1qqVotf71bJrlhAF26Rw9patHq9xj-1YmdefvfmvRsumTTrWCnpQU7lQ/s448/parsnip,%20date%20and%20clementine%20cake2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="448" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0OHVwNMaxuZLyQzWszX0bN1UsRzsUU5Sw2SVfGzI1nKq1KCjYHaLV6JPtQjpArz4LSrTK9OpGP5S26syQY_7fSahZNEIbcBssA3OxXmVxh-AaGLr9dUec8hRkp-Qli4PMYn1qqVotf71bJrlhAF26Rw9patHq9xj-1YmdefvfmvRsumTTrWCnpQU7lQ/w492-h369/parsnip,%20date%20and%20clementine%20cake2.JPG" width="492" /></a></p><p>This time I used the dates instead of sultanas and, as both dates and parsnips are fairly sweet, I omitted the small amount of honey. I also decided not to glaze it with the honey and clementine glaze either. It was sweet enough without it and the top already looked nice and glossy so I didn't ice it. I also decided to grate the parsnips a bit finer, using the medium grater on my box grater, which produced a nice cloud of fluffy parsnip which would be more easily concealed in the cake if anyone had doubts about it!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSj0QphsnKExffA-G7Pk_ROaKnxnV08_eoZYoH6htKbOrK4j3ZGDswGK5C0eEX8JhmzXhfoG0WeLTRuM3J-VZj9Vlu6ZZQia9CahNIJnwRj9rYpm0miFxSttsneQBimOCDl1kf-RQby7KeP1Jqs4INxzQ1btjlyAZZE52DMOf5oXVJhvjPpAystV_-x1A/s448/parsnip,%20date%20and%20clementine%20cake3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="257" data-original-width="448" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSj0QphsnKExffA-G7Pk_ROaKnxnV08_eoZYoH6htKbOrK4j3ZGDswGK5C0eEX8JhmzXhfoG0WeLTRuM3J-VZj9Vlu6ZZQia9CahNIJnwRj9rYpm0miFxSttsneQBimOCDl1kf-RQby7KeP1Jqs4INxzQ1btjlyAZZE52DMOf5oXVJhvjPpAystV_-x1A/w496-h285/parsnip,%20date%20and%20clementine%20cake3.JPG" width="496" /></a></p><p>I made it as a traybake, with the walking group debriefing session in mind and it worked beautifully. It was moist, delicious and kept well - possibly being even better the day after baking. It was a huge hit with the handful of intrepid walkers that braved a cold, grey and muddy walk then retired to the bar. There was only the slightest twitch of a raised eyebrow from our French members who by now probably realise that the English, although bonkers, can make a good cake from peculiar ingredients. One even compared it to pain d'epices - and had a second slice. Praise indeed! A winner!</p><p><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></p><p>150g chopped dates</p><p>juice and zest of 4 clementines (or satsumas, mandarins or maybe 2 small oranges)</p><p>3 large eggs </p><p>175ml groundnut or sunflower oil</p><p>200g soft light brown sugar</p><p>200g self raising flour</p><p>50g ground almonds</p><p>1 tsp baking powder</p><p>1 tsp ground ginger</p><p>½ tsp ground cinnamon</p><p>200g parsnips</p><p><b><u>Method</u></b></p><p>Put the dates and clementine juice into a small pan. Add a little water if necessary to ensure they are covered. Bring to the boil, turn off the heat and set aside to cool.</p><p>Peel and grate the parsnips, using the medium fine side of your grater, grating only the fleshy part and discarding the tougher core.</p><p>Preheat the oven to 170° C / 150° fan / gas mk 3½. Butter and line the base and sides of a large traybake or roasting tin measuring about 33 x 24 cm.</p><p>In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar and flour until well blended and creamy. This is easy enough to do with a wooden spoon.</p><p>Add the soaked dates including any liquid and all the other ingredients including the clementine zest. Mix well.</p><p>Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top.</p><p>Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and cooked. Cool in the tin.</p><p>Cuts into 12-16 slices or squares, depending on how many people you want to feed.</p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-50411581938528149962024-02-03T12:38:00.007+00:002024-02-04T15:39:48.722+00:00CHICKEN WITH THIRTY CLOVES OF GARLIC <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_fkfXxVSmO4DItE-QEa99vWzJesDf_isrE0W48ZKNlEu7pLwN8ajX-cAvm4QZZLocWfTBIRm4-JiJ0qnhz_ki8v5U7E8vR1P5I9__uhqV6x-4QyPENC-xM40PG-JsT-i0qu2QuFt3llCLT1c8Vi20RVZiPL-EoeLXfQBn-c60t7cHgi1HvIOwpr4988/s448/provencal%20chicken4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="448" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_fkfXxVSmO4DItE-QEa99vWzJesDf_isrE0W48ZKNlEu7pLwN8ajX-cAvm4QZZLocWfTBIRm4-JiJ0qnhz_ki8v5U7E8vR1P5I9__uhqV6x-4QyPENC-xM40PG-JsT-i0qu2QuFt3llCLT1c8Vi20RVZiPL-EoeLXfQBn-c60t7cHgi1HvIOwpr4988/w494-h366/provencal%20chicken4.JPG" width="494" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have made this dish many times before, although not for a few years, but never posted about it. You can find versions of it all over the place on the internet but I usually follow, as a guide, the recipe for "Provencal garlic chicken" from a great little book by Jill Dupleix called "good cooking"**.</div><p></p><p>It’s one of those recipes that’s staggeringly easy but delicious and warrants ferreting around in the back of the kitchen cupboard for a much loved bit of old kitchen equipment - the chicken brick!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWzseXej2ZsK0GYpoFgTKCECdw5m-MjxQ3e-AGQFMl5CkERh0Je194SG68bQfz5ybPRXxNvOsTZDipptP-2SDy8H9VsSAE3I01DgyNk_zjiuBuohlmL_w30x748WxE-f5G8v1aYD-quIHIgcRaTHh3sbe1CcMYD2J8v9dAgyTn4way8jAPSnVW9-wchs/s430/provencal%20chicken.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="430" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWzseXej2ZsK0GYpoFgTKCECdw5m-MjxQ3e-AGQFMl5CkERh0Je194SG68bQfz5ybPRXxNvOsTZDipptP-2SDy8H9VsSAE3I01DgyNk_zjiuBuohlmL_w30x748WxE-f5G8v1aYD-quIHIgcRaTHh3sbe1CcMYD2J8v9dAgyTn4way8jAPSnVW9-wchs/w501-h391/provencal%20chicken.JPG" width="501" /></a></p><p>I acquired a chicken brick back in the 70’s or 80’s, or whenever it was that they were all the rage. It was made of a terracotta pottery (possibly from Habitat) and was probably a Christmas or birthday present, but it didn’t get much use and I don’t remember when I noticed it was no longer around. Then, about twelve years ago, we held a Pampered Chef party at our house - a kind of Tupperware party but for cooking equipment. I bought quite a few items and they were not cheap but have turned out to be a good investment. One of the things I lashed out on was a new chicken brick, or updated version thereof, as it's also very good for casseroles, slow roasted meats and other things.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I remember the Pampered Chef agent saying that these pots should not be put in the dishwasher, that they should be washed in hot soapy water to remove any food bits but should otherwise be allowed to develop their own "patina". This rather goes against the grain for someone like me who was brought up to scrub things to within an inch of their lives to ward off nasty tummy bugs - and whose very first domestic science lesson (from a very stern Mrs Stafford) was about how to clean a kitchen worktop properly and look after your dishcloth (having first knitted it from cotton string in the needlework class). But I have to say that the residue hasn't killed us yet, however unappealing it may look! </p><p style="text-align: left;">Any suitable casserole or roasting dish that has a tight fitting lid will do the job. You can ensure a tight seal by covering the chicken with foil or baking paper before putting the lid on. With my chicken brick I don't have to do this.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFx-HvcDmPdciyJjfpEcbuWU_aerTt5ZsIc1z1nCmQ30_kWUFnARwSU-DuQwWl8ldbp5WGYloPHr9o3vvjU-usfcAxY9Ed6Sm6eQ1KuLt6eaZEojgWtNoGnzFKE5Ugbk-1txwBxzI8tc6T-bLSHB0t_OFRIIZ8qVNYdM2Aywzgk7qFfDHlsvbOb6Q9W4/s448/provencal%20chicken2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="448" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFx-HvcDmPdciyJjfpEcbuWU_aerTt5ZsIc1z1nCmQ30_kWUFnARwSU-DuQwWl8ldbp5WGYloPHr9o3vvjU-usfcAxY9Ed6Sm6eQ1KuLt6eaZEojgWtNoGnzFKE5Ugbk-1txwBxzI8tc6T-bLSHB0t_OFRIIZ8qVNYdM2Aywzgk7qFfDHlsvbOb6Q9W4/w489-h359/provencal%20chicken2.JPG" width="489" /></a></p><p>The original recipe is for forty cloves of garlic but when I checked the larder all I had in stock was thirty! It turned out beautifully; moist and delicious. The leftover meat was excellent in a chicken and leek pie, the carcass went into the stock pot and was turned into a tasty soup with the leftover potatoes and garlic.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiNtQShDC6tt_WQMUo6XoBIZVY_2X6eMqmtH19Lszf9RJJly0rXSQneIdTDZ0WAjdLX-dk56BMW6TOIxJaYkbg5J15b0w3Uk3rFx3C0WoqmI6maq5M9t7Lrm5AcmTV2EwmVCk34mFLm_8GGzpcnPOEfOhKS9pNlxRenq206w0gHpoTFFQRQ75twhFtBZ8/s448/provencal%20chicken3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="448" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiNtQShDC6tt_WQMUo6XoBIZVY_2X6eMqmtH19Lszf9RJJly0rXSQneIdTDZ0WAjdLX-dk56BMW6TOIxJaYkbg5J15b0w3Uk3rFx3C0WoqmI6maq5M9t7Lrm5AcmTV2EwmVCk34mFLm_8GGzpcnPOEfOhKS9pNlxRenq206w0gHpoTFFQRQ75twhFtBZ8/w484-h351/provencal%20chicken3.JPG" width="484" /></a></p><p>Retirement does have benefits. Our food bill and wastage are both significantly lower than when we were working. I never thought I would turn into a person that makes their own stock (and uses leftovers so enthusiastically) but having the time to do it is the key. </p><p>**Other recipes from this excellent little book that I have made and posted about before include:</p><p><a href="https://bakinginfranglais.blogspot.com/2013/10/airport-potatoes.html" target="_blank">Airport potatoes </a></p><p><a href="https://bakinginfranglais.blogspot.com/2011/06/cranberry-blondies.html" target="_blank">Cranberry blondies</a></p><p><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></p><p>1 oven ready chicken, about 1.2 kg in weight</p><p>2 bay leaves</p><p>3 sprigs of thyme</p><p>4 tblsp olive oil plus extra for oiling the dish</p><p>30 garlic cloves, unpeeled</p><p>6-8 smallish potatoes, washed but skin on</p><p>75ml dry white wine</p><p><b><u>Method</u></b></p><p>Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160° fan / gas mk 4. Lightly oil the inside of the baking dish.</p><p>Rub the chicken with a little salt and put it in the pot, surrounded by the potatoes, garlic and herbs. Drizzle with the olive oil, pour over the wine and season again with salt and pepper.</p><p>Fit the lid tightly (see notes in text) and bake for about an hour. Remove the lid, increase the oven temperature to 220°C / 200° fan / gas mk 7 and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through* and the skin is a golden brown.</p><p>Serve with the potatoes and garlic cloves, which are delicious when squished so the puréed garlic oozes out. Serve the cooking juices from the bottom of the chicken in a jug and any greens or salad of your choice.</p><p>*You can judge this by either poking a knife into the thickest part of the breast and making sure the juices run clear, not pink, or by using a meat thermometer.</p><p>Serves 6 with leftovers to use as you wish.</p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-38389510776085826842024-02-02T08:01:00.004+00:002024-02-02T08:15:43.331+00:00MARMALADE BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZCj16wbKABy3gZWkeBFRtdmBlS_sMw56BgelLrlQuPQyA6_1R6wQWgHWf_lObcBTDmu4NWXU0AR81rmLyJNfKzijkrVBnQkv3RvFybjvo7reLxVkleTQb6i8aw7xqTTbwAIoW7q27nM5xN-tjgWis02Dq-BkA5a-GKtmBtHGiRSfeQFyLkDi7IAuZTg/s448/marmalade%20bread%20and%20butter%20pudding.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="448" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZCj16wbKABy3gZWkeBFRtdmBlS_sMw56BgelLrlQuPQyA6_1R6wQWgHWf_lObcBTDmu4NWXU0AR81rmLyJNfKzijkrVBnQkv3RvFybjvo7reLxVkleTQb6i8aw7xqTTbwAIoW7q27nM5xN-tjgWis02Dq-BkA5a-GKtmBtHGiRSfeQFyLkDi7IAuZTg/w506-h370/marmalade%20bread%20and%20butter%20pudding.JPG" width="506" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">For my Burns Night Supper I decided to make this as well as the traditional Cranachan. Marmalade was thought to have been invented in Scotland after all although this is now disputed. (See <a href="https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14371152.england-strips-scotland-title-land-invented-marmalade/" target="_blank">here</a>.) </p><p>One of the guests was tee total and as the recipes I had settled on for both desserts contained whisky, I made two versions of each; with and without it. I had an idea that whisky is not to everyone’s taste, not even the Scots, and as it turned out both versions were equally popular! For this pudding I simply divided the ingredients between two separate baking dishes and put a good dollop of whisky into half of the egg mixture. </p><p>It was delicious and you can see the original recipe <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/marmalade-whisky-bread-butter-pudding" target="_blank">here</a>. I used "wonderloaf" but it would also be good made with brioche or sliced croissants - for a Franco-Scots variation!</p><p><b><u>Ingredients </u></b></p><p>8 slices of white bread, crusts removed</p><p>approximately 50g very soft butter</p><p>approximately 4 tblsp orange marmalade, plus a few extra tsp</p><p>300ml milk (I used semi skimmed as that's what we have)</p><p>250 ml double cream</p><p>3 large eggs</p><p>1 tsp vanilla extract</p><p>4 tblsp golden caster sugar (white sugar would be fine)</p><p>1 tblsp whisky (optional)</p><p>icing sugar for dusting (I forgot this step!)</p><p><b><u>Method</u></b></p><p>Butter a suitable ovenproof pie dish.</p><p>Butter both sides of each slice of bread. Make four marmalade sandwiches by spreading 4 of the slices generously with marmalade and topping them with the other 4 slices.</p><p>Cut each sandwich into four triangles and arrange them, pointed end up, in the pie dish.</p><p>Put the milk, cream, eggs, vanilla, whisky and sugar into a large jug and beat well together. Pour this mixture over the sandwiches and set aside to soak in for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 160°C / 140° fan / gas mk4. </p><p>Dot a few teaspoons of extra marmalade over the pudding and dust with icing sugar. Bake for 45 minutes or until the edges of the bread are brown and crisp and the custard is set.</p><p>Serve straight away or just warm.</p><p>Serves 6-8.</p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-10685676794657806662024-01-30T08:45:00.001+00:002024-01-30T08:55:42.052+00:00COCK-A-LEEKIE SOUP<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNjCT4nph1MMPfpabZqNlnTj43CAl54mkhQqa0VAsnze44DcaAON8h_5fJOr3WGeyTfmM_DWX8J8o6xPOooUu5UGk0jWBZTPr7WRrS8sEGuqew7c9qEyHlcJFluAdeRJCMvIdkaTCBeDB2FvaaKE8PajtodaDodgT3USQwLMCOrVjq2AJnh-IGduOqrdw/s429/cock-a-leekie%20soup3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="336" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNjCT4nph1MMPfpabZqNlnTj43CAl54mkhQqa0VAsnze44DcaAON8h_5fJOr3WGeyTfmM_DWX8J8o6xPOooUu5UGk0jWBZTPr7WRrS8sEGuqew7c9qEyHlcJFluAdeRJCMvIdkaTCBeDB2FvaaKE8PajtodaDodgT3USQwLMCOrVjq2AJnh-IGduOqrdw/w425-h542/cock-a-leekie%20soup3.JPG" width="425" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I made cock-a-leekie soup as the first course at our Burns Night Supper. There were five guests plus ourselves so seven people in total. This was more than my soup maker could handle so I made it like I always used to - in my large stock pot. As the name suggests it is essentially a chunky chicken and leek soup!</div><p></p><p>Most of the recipes I consulted suggested cooking a chicken with the veg, taking the meat off the bones after it was cooked and adding it back into the soup. I already had some home made chicken stock in the freezer so I cooked some chicken breasts separately (in the air fryer) and used those. </p><p>Some recipes suggested adding prunes to the soup. Prunes are a favourite in this house but not everyone is a fan so I left them out. I would add some next time if I made a smaller quantity just for the two of us. Another ingredient I left out was some smoked bacon because one of the guests eats only fish or chicken, no red meat. They would also be a good addition for next time I think!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-gJKj5FqmFPTcLNeLPBHRP2FM4V9ojNkZkmDClUAFSB5K8wxg7kLQnBNZPEvkmDrbAfqQedWusKicIhFIADa-iHwtUHfnMctJ-zSFmPp3WPTrUP967ciBJREwgzjPktMrSTF7bH6wb5jhsj67r49OFh3MgZwYNcNCNsDSQL89migar07gGgq_cFQ-ik/s448/cock-a-leekie%20soup2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="448" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-gJKj5FqmFPTcLNeLPBHRP2FM4V9ojNkZkmDClUAFSB5K8wxg7kLQnBNZPEvkmDrbAfqQedWusKicIhFIADa-iHwtUHfnMctJ-zSFmPp3WPTrUP967ciBJREwgzjPktMrSTF7bH6wb5jhsj67r49OFh3MgZwYNcNCNsDSQL89migar07gGgq_cFQ-ik/w485-h356/cock-a-leekie%20soup2.JPG" width="485" /></a></p><p>It turned out really well - chunky veg, very tasty and this amount of ingredients made eight good servings. It would also be an excellent way of using up leftover chicken.</p><p><b><u>Ingredients </u></b></p><p>2 skinless chicken breasts, cooked </p><p>A twinpack of smoked bacon lardons (optional)</p><p>4 large carrots</p><p>2 large leeks</p><p>4 sticks of celery </p><p>50g butter</p><p>2 tblsp olive oil </p><p>1 litre of chicken stock (home made or using water and two chicken stock pots or cubes)</p><p>1 bouquet garni</p><p>A good handful of stoned prunes (optional)</p><p><b><u>Method </u></b></p><p>Peel and chop the carrots into small dice of about 1cm. Trim and thinly slice the leeks. Wash and thinly slice the celery. </p><p>In a large saucepan or stock pot heat the oil and butter gently until the butter has melted, add the lardons if using, then add all the veg. Cook gently until the veg are softened which will take about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally or shaking the pan so that they don’t stick. </p><p>Add the stock and approximately a litre of water. The liquid should cover the veg completely so use your judgment to add more water if needed. Add the bouquet garni and season well with salt and pepper.</p><p>Bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 30 minutes. If using the prunes add them half way through the cooking time.</p><p>Chop or tear the cooked chicken into small pieces and add into the pan. Cook for another 5 minutes, check the seasoning and serve with a nice fresh baguette.</p><p>Makes 6-8 generous servings.</p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-5652892177143091202024-01-29T08:14:00.001+00:002024-01-29T08:14:42.202+00:00VEGETABLE PIE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjziRp29Gw-bukXSVSs7_QcVPGOqRPjSqZ_BIUQJ-zeBAKUkz6EZpZES2MzcPMBW3vZFzMc8v4fx6i8gNfHqlmGmlpBC9NFFApUqG4i2CbpcTDjTP7stAbpJP6kVlyKTMrYCKNDYN-YYGBYYr260IZAu-bMYI1RS6nfsChJYpQWjVMwUkAFolyr7CD6FPk/s448/vegetable%20pie.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="448" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjziRp29Gw-bukXSVSs7_QcVPGOqRPjSqZ_BIUQJ-zeBAKUkz6EZpZES2MzcPMBW3vZFzMc8v4fx6i8gNfHqlmGmlpBC9NFFApUqG4i2CbpcTDjTP7stAbpJP6kVlyKTMrYCKNDYN-YYGBYYr260IZAu-bMYI1RS6nfsChJYpQWjVMwUkAFolyr7CD6FPk/w502-h346/vegetable%20pie.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><br /><p>For our our Burns Night Supper I had planned to make Scotch pies for the main course, which are made with lamb or mutton. One of the guests eats no red meat, only fish or chicken, so I wondered about making a vegetable version. I was not sure how well it would hold together so made a large top crust pie instead. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTJzN9tak6CqhSX1A1kmNSAwDkT-LaTnaMNjpz3X2Sn3T_68dTPYalkyMksLLnBIj2JFsoVVV4UmxSNwRL023tPGcSOI5TrlIRi3oj6rwEEgj2XlwKc1EZFX65a34mAdwp96M2ezclmIHz3M1aNwYaaTSpotpPBHT2N3U355fOZ8hWaibElbS0NoQdg4/s448/vegetable%20pie2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="448" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTJzN9tak6CqhSX1A1kmNSAwDkT-LaTnaMNjpz3X2Sn3T_68dTPYalkyMksLLnBIj2JFsoVVV4UmxSNwRL023tPGcSOI5TrlIRi3oj6rwEEgj2XlwKc1EZFX65a34mAdwp96M2ezclmIHz3M1aNwYaaTSpotpPBHT2N3U355fOZ8hWaibElbS0NoQdg4/w512-h359/vegetable%20pie2.JPG" width="512" /></a></p><p>A common term for this kind of pie nowadays is a "pot pie". It’s basically a pie filling topped with either shortcrust or flaky pastry. This one was served with tatties and neeps - mashed potatoes and swede - but normally it would be good with a pile of greens - sprouts, broccoli, cabbage or beans.</p><p>The first time I made this pie was about fifty years ago. I was a student, just married to husband number one, and money was very tight. I remember it so well because we had asked friends round for dinner, which was my very first dinner party. We couldn’t afford enough meat of any kind for four people but I had spotted a recipe for vegetable pie in a magazine in a waiting room somewhere. It was essentially cooked veg in a cheese sauce with a pastry top.</p><p>I baked it in the Pyrex pie dish that came in a set with a mixing bowl and jug as a wedding present. I still have and use the pie dish and bowl. For this pie I included some broccoli but back then I’m sure I would have used brussels sprouts. If broccoli had been available it would have seemed far too expensive and exotic. I would have made the pastry myself from flour and lard as I’m not sure that ready made pastry - even if I could have afforded it - was a thing in the early seventies. </p><p>I also remember that we served grilled grapefruit as a starter and crème caramel for dessert. Remember those?!</p><p><b><u>Ingredients </u></b></p><p>1 pack of ready made, ready rolled shortcrust pastry</p><p>1 large carrot </p><p>1 large leek</p><p>1 chunk of swede</p><p>1 stick of celery </p><p>A few florets of broccoli </p><p>A chunk of broccoli stalk</p><p>1 egg, beaten </p><p><b><u>For the cheese sauce </u></b></p><p>1 heaped dessertspoon of plain flour </p><p>1 large knob of butter </p><p>1 pint of milk </p><p>50g of grated cheese such as cheddar</p><p>A pinch of mace or mustard powder </p><p><b><u>Method</u></b></p><p>Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160° fan / gas mk 4.</p><p>Peel the carrots and swede and chop into small dice of about 1cm. Wash and thinly slice the leek and celery. Trim the broccoli stalk and chop into 1cm dice.</p><p>Put all the vegetables apart from the broccoli florets into a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Cook for 10-15 minutes until cooked but still firm, adding the broccoli florets for the last few minutes so that they don’t get too soft. Drain the veg and tip back into the pan.</p><p>To make the sauce put the flour, butter and about half of the milk into a medium saucepan and bring gently to the boil, whisking all the time until it thickens. Add enough of the rest of the milk to get the thickness you want, remembering that the cheese will also thicken it up slightly. You should aim for a "coating" consistency, i.e. a bit thicker than "pouring " and not too runny. Add the cheese and spice, and a little more milk if needed. It’s easier to thin the sauce by adding more milk than to thicken it up if it’s too thin!</p><p>Add the sauce to the veg, season with salt and pepper and stir well until the veg are all coated. Tip into a suitable pie dish, top with the pastry and decorate with leaves made from the trimmings. Make a hole in the middle to let out the steam, plus a few around the edge, brush with beaten egg and bake for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Rest for a few minutes before serving.</p><p>Cuts into 6 generous servings.</p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-70082134045083370362024-01-27T17:16:00.008+00:002024-01-28T10:52:44.833+00:00SCOTCH PIES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWtD3aS1JtKHGSvMxXPr24O0cJNrbxr1RrmSCr1CZ8DXgoKXCzfFyirWFIAWDmG2phhokbTHDiewIF1pcOMze2zt_xgsyLoecv3RLlQsQ4dSSHU3CTia98BshZY16gi_dSwARhhpJgZ6scNg4XZZ9v2yE-4rokOohNiWJcBtau5I_n6gagrWOY3Wcjek/s448/scotch%20pies7.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="448" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWtD3aS1JtKHGSvMxXPr24O0cJNrbxr1RrmSCr1CZ8DXgoKXCzfFyirWFIAWDmG2phhokbTHDiewIF1pcOMze2zt_xgsyLoecv3RLlQsQ4dSSHU3CTia98BshZY16gi_dSwARhhpJgZ6scNg4XZZ9v2yE-4rokOohNiWJcBtau5I_n6gagrWOY3Wcjek/w496-h347/scotch%20pies7.JPG" width="496" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">In a moment of madness I proposed that we should host a Burns Supper. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">The missing ingredient was the haggis. </span></div><p>Haggis is not to everyone’s taste but I have enjoyed it in the past. It’s now one of the items we are no longer permitted to bring into France post Brexit. All meat and dairy products are banned so those expats who used to buy a couple of haggis during their Christmas UK visit to bring back to France for their Burns Suppers have to either smuggle them in their luggage or get creative. In a moment of pure insanity I proposed that I should make Scotch pies. How hard can they be?!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0_cX0SgIUE1JJXzIr-VX41CeUd9FAhjkNKhdtUbmDyBl7AJm2gAN0jBSOuZzFqIC3OFFqZ_3WilpKmMn1wpNA6J640HmeaH6TGQyvj1CyRYV-dY9swg6yVTYF8-fsppJOe2iKOFXAMX7sGVG5PW2C7j8UsdW-nkAhrRSi9JPtGTgpcdDwG1E55eUeBA/s448/scotch%20pies3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="448" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0_cX0SgIUE1JJXzIr-VX41CeUd9FAhjkNKhdtUbmDyBl7AJm2gAN0jBSOuZzFqIC3OFFqZ_3WilpKmMn1wpNA6J640HmeaH6TGQyvj1CyRYV-dY9swg6yVTYF8-fsppJOe2iKOFXAMX7sGVG5PW2C7j8UsdW-nkAhrRSi9JPtGTgpcdDwG1E55eUeBA/w448-h310/scotch%20pies3.JPG" width="448" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eo6nC6lDvTFTMPjPKgYx4wnRNP0vyqA3neLO3gZ5abFtx6CP0B8vkJlGrhVGGKMlul2Ppqhwkjqx-LxcVI70N_zM1LJxh02dKkbEg-bSlVauxDxrk01aDsDgywApBwf68-VG1zyY1IJSZ32m-C6wMWelxdPPlbf1OYcXWOnd9tP72f6Q-lPFAz9Sx5A/s448/scotch%20pies2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="448" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eo6nC6lDvTFTMPjPKgYx4wnRNP0vyqA3neLO3gZ5abFtx6CP0B8vkJlGrhVGGKMlul2Ppqhwkjqx-LxcVI70N_zM1LJxh02dKkbEg-bSlVauxDxrk01aDsDgywApBwf68-VG1zyY1IJSZ32m-C6wMWelxdPPlbf1OYcXWOnd9tP72f6Q-lPFAz9Sx5A/w449-h310/scotch%20pies2.JPG" width="449" /></a></p><p>There is a recipe on the BBC Good Food website by Paul Hollywood which comes from his TV series "Pies and Puds". You can see the recipe <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/scotch_pies_92297" target="_blank">here.</a> It includes a video of how to construct the pies but I can’t view it from outside of the UK! ** Luckily I also have a copy of the book from the TV series, a charity shop find, and there’s a couple of pages of helpful photos.</p><p>To say they are fiddly is a gross understatement!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyM_Sno5HrAXf5QpoLTKNQygt2eDLnwQPd7e2WMnHi3QfYNKh3CnPONO1Ws6PeVHTFZ-oywSSuGmQPV9UWfttjq4nsv6C15RcZupZTXBwA9qc1Bb5YY1ad3Id4PqT16JqWWLEeVz7xQ4ubmkMegULRL1Y_bdTG6bRhkGD400T6ccI-bYEApLRz_lkrQ8/s448/scotch%20pies.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="448" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyM_Sno5HrAXf5QpoLTKNQygt2eDLnwQPd7e2WMnHi3QfYNKh3CnPONO1Ws6PeVHTFZ-oywSSuGmQPV9UWfttjq4nsv6C15RcZupZTXBwA9qc1Bb5YY1ad3Id4PqT16JqWWLEeVz7xQ4ubmkMegULRL1Y_bdTG6bRhkGD400T6ccI-bYEApLRz_lkrQ8/w523-h371/scotch%20pies.JPG" width="523" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHa2YDXRnegJXVNmmgCl5Rp94PK8sVm0ye3iS0zZ9QEBj0iX9_un9wkJ3JLbE_cJwzkGhQjf56RWOmHU_gZWAev1ijHsTDwTqAwXE5ylnm0pzRA3R2a8JS9937WTZ1ujMXG8ZnKQIbXxRvcFsPp8_rTCtvNreURvzGDTnNTXsgwLaakP1bgtN0FoiA4J8/s448/scotch%20pies4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="448" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHa2YDXRnegJXVNmmgCl5Rp94PK8sVm0ye3iS0zZ9QEBj0iX9_un9wkJ3JLbE_cJwzkGhQjf56RWOmHU_gZWAev1ijHsTDwTqAwXE5ylnm0pzRA3R2a8JS9937WTZ1ujMXG8ZnKQIbXxRvcFsPp8_rTCtvNreURvzGDTnNTXsgwLaakP1bgtN0FoiA4J8/w484-h304/scotch%20pies4.JPG" width="484" /></a></p><p>I practised two days before the event using some leftover roast pork from our Sunday lunch, scaling down the ingredients to make just two of them. I had never made hot water crust pastry before and the two pies took me about an hour to make, plus baking time. BUT they looked the part and were delicious! I was very proud of them. However, it dawned on me that at the rate of production it could literally take me all day to make the six I needed for the evening’s festivities and there was also the tatties, neeps, cock-a-leekie soup and cranachan to make!</p><p>I decided that the way to go was to cook the lamb the day before and mince it for the filling "shepherd’s pie" fashion. No risk of serving undercooked meat to our guests. I also decided I would make them in the morning and reheat for dinner. No risk of me still being up to my elbows in flour and pastry when the guests arrived!</p><p>I set to early, deciding to make the pies one by one as I thought that would be easier than rolling out such a huge amount of pastry. The website instructions are for four pies and the book for eight so I split the difference and portioned out the pastry for individual pies.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnx1IxPAZShN8iXwOjK7N4VB2Vf5FqzOvZ1EcUP161FLXrWW8HyixlQ_sPmZjCq2PDPruZmKWRywoH6YH2zBU8IbUdywU11mxC5Kazll_9l2Cerkjy7szbKRjx0WOAXqZuuJOfsim77kywIVUpf9WRT8S5aGofuck92Q9IqNaWg-YjuzgVCipx0nhcF9w/s448/scotch%20pies5.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="448" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnx1IxPAZShN8iXwOjK7N4VB2Vf5FqzOvZ1EcUP161FLXrWW8HyixlQ_sPmZjCq2PDPruZmKWRywoH6YH2zBU8IbUdywU11mxC5Kazll_9l2Cerkjy7szbKRjx0WOAXqZuuJOfsim77kywIVUpf9WRT8S5aGofuck92Q9IqNaWg-YjuzgVCipx0nhcF9w/w475-h343/scotch%20pies5.JPG" width="475" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWrM7LQb2_v2kvsrdcpEfVGQyo3pn6OnStarnjbxj65VEUB1CizLeUM5EHkG2zMilExoWknQpZMBfpKIZRswo9fED_zEijfUSSXnGFZY9rSC9nWk2f84BDMwuax_hH1A-nUCbHJIPstPka7vSkgmSrpu9iklCEHVAvppBUbJejGEdAY2cNISvPyiESRnI/s448/scotch%20pies6.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="448" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWrM7LQb2_v2kvsrdcpEfVGQyo3pn6OnStarnjbxj65VEUB1CizLeUM5EHkG2zMilExoWknQpZMBfpKIZRswo9fED_zEijfUSSXnGFZY9rSC9nWk2f84BDMwuax_hH1A-nUCbHJIPstPka7vSkgmSrpu9iklCEHVAvppBUbJejGEdAY2cNISvPyiESRnI/w476-h342/scotch%20pies6.JPG" width="476" /></a></p><p>*Moulding the pastry around the filling is immensely fiddly. I found that for me the quickest way to get them made was to put a ball of filling in the middle of a circle of pastry, pat it down a bit, brush the edge with water and then place a circle of pastry for the lid straight on top. I then brought the bottom pastry up to meet the lid at four points, north, east, south and west, pinching it together to secure it. I then gathered up the rest of the pastry, pleating to fit, and pinched the edges together. This got my production time down to less than ten minutes per pie from rolling out to stringing up!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGF9pKDQucBlw2a9U6ja4fZJzQjHhha6UnvTypOyh2Chk6gCQ-IiPXTPo7nTXL6vzjPGwvwAwhkurzLVgB6_8gtMy7BZ1V_ULC5Kc1B6z7kKxXhfd4v3zK67_agpItwEUt4l0a4-wyBj30FB07ad6pBnEa5hsnkYb_X_ulmfXEQXVaGyDX7BbxA4Q0PI/s448/scotch%20pies8.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="321" data-original-width="448" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGF9pKDQucBlw2a9U6ja4fZJzQjHhha6UnvTypOyh2Chk6gCQ-IiPXTPo7nTXL6vzjPGwvwAwhkurzLVgB6_8gtMy7BZ1V_ULC5Kc1B6z7kKxXhfd4v3zK67_agpItwEUt4l0a4-wyBj30FB07ad6pBnEa5hsnkYb_X_ulmfXEQXVaGyDX7BbxA4Q0PI/w481-h344/scotch%20pies8.JPG" width="481" /></a></p><p>They were not the prettiest pies you have ever seen but they were really tasty and went down well with our guests. I have given the quantity of ingredients for six pies and my own adaptions to the recipe but suggest you look it up and work out your own best method! I have given it three stars in the faff factor but in reality they were about three and a half - incredibly fiddly but very definitely worth it!</p><p>Next time I think I would try to make them a bit smaller!</p><p><b><u>Ingredients </u></b></p><p><b><u>For the filling</u></b></p><p>900g cooked lamb</p><p>A pinch of mace</p><p>1 onion, cooked. Mine had been roasted under the joint of lamb</p><p><b><u>For the pastry</u></b></p><p>540g Plain flour</p><p>180g Lard or other white cooking fat. I used Trex.</p><p>240ml Water</p><p>A pinch of salt </p><p>1 egg, beaten, for egg wash</p><p><b><u>Method </u></b></p><p>Begin by choosing a small plate of about 18cm diameter and a saucer or jar of about 10cm diameter. These will be used as templates to cut the circles of pastry. Cut six strips of baking paper about 30cm long and 10cm deep, folded over lengthways. These will be used to encase the pies so they keep their shape while baking. Also cut six pieces of string long enough to tie around the pies.</p><p>Mince the lamb coarsely in a food processor. Add the onion and mace and process for a few seconds until blended in.</p><p>Tip the lamb onto a board and mould into a ball. Divide into six even portions and roll each one into a smaller ball. Place on a tray or dish and chill in the fridge while you make the pastry.</p><p>Put the flour into a large bowl. Put the fat, salt and water into a saucepan on medium heat and bring to the boil. Pour this liquid onto the flour and mix in with a spoon. (The flour will fizz briefly as you add the liquid.) </p><p>When the pastry starts to come together and is cool enough to handle tip it onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. (This took longer than I expected.)</p><p>Mould the pastry into a patty and cut into quarters, setting one aside for the lids. Divide each of the three remaining quarters into two giving you six equal portions of pastry. Divide the first quarter into six equal smaller portions.</p><p>On a floured surface roll a portion of pastry into a circle of about 18cm using your plate to cut it out. Roll one of the lid portions using your jar or saucer template.</p><p>Place a ball of meat on the large pastry and flatten slightly. Moisten the edges of the pastry with water and with your hands bring the sides up around the meat. Place a lid on top and pinch them together. (*See text for how I found the best way of doing this.)</p><p>Wrap a strip of paper around the pie and secure with string. Place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Repeat with the remaining pies.</p><p>Make a hole in the top of each pie and brush with the beaten egg. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.</p><p>Bake for 35-40 minutes at 200°C / 180° fan / gas mk 6 until golden brown. Serve hot.</p><p>Makes 6 pies.</p><p>** I have since been able to watch the video on a different device and it's for a single large pie, so nothing like PH's recipe and instructions! However, if I ever want to make a large pork pie, I'll definitely give it a try!</p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-69556647517907493812024-01-14T14:56:00.004+00:002024-01-14T15:45:00.729+00:00VICTORIA SPONGE<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFRaZ84a9TLQMvo_3HRaDzrO0-pV4pCvyi3cu_p4rbWvazl9rElZJM02mFJoIKkFTfVmCC1kSfo6pj40SuD1fRPpwkkYJI7yftTyyVvdV2WAhqy554JaI9Us7U4cEPJmizqDwKxzxHeK4TCz0azjiAa2B0ENWn63MomVr4Kckr-xOGpHnllLTsoz61Q4o/s448/victoria%20sponge.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="265" data-original-width="448" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFRaZ84a9TLQMvo_3HRaDzrO0-pV4pCvyi3cu_p4rbWvazl9rElZJM02mFJoIKkFTfVmCC1kSfo6pj40SuD1fRPpwkkYJI7yftTyyVvdV2WAhqy554JaI9Us7U4cEPJmizqDwKxzxHeK4TCz0azjiAa2B0ENWn63MomVr4Kckr-xOGpHnllLTsoz61Q4o/w549-h324/victoria%20sponge.JPG" width="549" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">I very rarely make a Victoria sponge, just once every few years. To me there always seem to be so many other, more interesting cakes, I could make. I have made exactly three in the last ten years and all were as a special request.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Ten years ago I made one for the charity cake stall at work. I had retired but still helped out with the cake stall and the ladies running it asked for a Victoria sponge, specifically with no cream or buttercream filling, just jam and a sprinkling of caster sugar on top. It was sold out within the first hour.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The next was for a picnic which was being held in summer 2022 for Ukranian refugees that have come to live in our part of France. The request was for people to bring food that represented their own part of the world. That was fascinating as the area is home to so many different nationalities. There was a huge amount of food but most of my cake got eaten.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJrAXsFl4gwCiBXyXRIhL75I_1zuJRFYVzAnANJ7puziDA_y6UDcQyN9bo6Q_IB5r8AE1edvGYG0af0I1A97RJUsQKjg01A-4G_uroigYBX6TFZdkfJX8Kio1fZHT8kKyLmSDceXrrIcEwXcLlQqsMh_zhiqTQQfBJ30Vi5MYhopuCiG5vFyNWkJENsUc/s448/victoria%20sponge2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="448" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJrAXsFl4gwCiBXyXRIhL75I_1zuJRFYVzAnANJ7puziDA_y6UDcQyN9bo6Q_IB5r8AE1edvGYG0af0I1A97RJUsQKjg01A-4G_uroigYBX6TFZdkfJX8Kio1fZHT8kKyLmSDceXrrIcEwXcLlQqsMh_zhiqTQQfBJ30Vi5MYhopuCiG5vFyNWkJENsUc/w506-h379/victoria%20sponge2.JPG" width="506" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">The third and latest time I made a Victoria sponge was last autumn for the English tea rooms at the annual craft and food fair in the next village to us in France. It was requested by the lady who runs it and when I asked about the filling she said she always puts cream in hers so I did too.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I delivered the cake along with several others at 9am and when I went back at 2pm to help with the washing up was told it sold out very quickly and had received several compliments.</p><p style="text-align: left;">So what does that tell you? Obviously a Victoria sponge is very popular even though it is, in my book, rather a plain cake. People love it.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I used a Mary Berry recipe for an all in one method. I toyed with the idea of using the creaming method (which my mum always did) and even the "weigh the eggs" method where you use the weight of the eggs to determine the weight of the other ingredients. In the end, I went for the quickest method as I had several cakes to make. I have to say, it looked the part and by all accounts ticked all the boxes. </p><p style="text-align: left;">If I am invited to bake for this year's tea rooms I shall make two Victoria sponges, so that the people who come in the afternoon still have that as a choice. And it was, after all, so easy and quick to make and is clearly very popular!</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></p><p style="text-align: left;">225g each of</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>baking spread</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>caster sugar</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>self raising flour</p><p style="text-align: left;">4 large eggs</p><p style="text-align: left;">1 level tsp baking powder</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><u>For the filling</u></b></p><p style="text-align: left;">strawberry or raspberry jam</p><p style="text-align: left;">150ml double or whipping cream*</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Method</u></b></p><p style="text-align: left;">Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160° fan / gas mk 4. Grease and line the base of two 20cm sandwich tins.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Put all the cake ingredients into a large bowl and beat well with a hand held electric whisk until thoroughly smooth and creamy. You could also use a stand mixer.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Divide the mixture evenly between the two sandwich tins and level the tops. Bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown and done. (See the tip on my sidebar on how to tell if a cake is done.)</p><p style="text-align: left;">Leave in the tins for a few minutes then remove carefully onto a wire rack to finish cooling, removing the base lining paper.</p><p style="text-align: left;">When cold, put one cake upside down on a serving plate and spread generously with the jam. Spread the whipped cream over this and place the other cake right way up on top.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Sprinkle a little caster sugar on top before serving.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Cuts into 8-10 slices.</p><p style="text-align: left;">*You could, alternatively, fill with buttercream instead of real cream. Some would say this is not the right thing for a Victoria sponge but I know it is still very popular!</p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-39405523403750889772023-12-31T04:30:00.002+00:002023-12-31T04:30:00.131+00:00HAPPY NEW YEAR - AND THE RECIPE ROUND-UP FOR 2023<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KIDpf_fGE6D0iHqfimpSi1aM9FhBGvfUi6YfHm-Rup_UEnyvIdUDsPt4VC3YD7cBHNmXDqoePPZwSZGnX3sgUfF0ckjJJ1yHFnyBWoSnj8a5Ng-lNSE89sMUwMch3vOkIZ7ivJxJI_BwWIwU4Su_ipt8JbP4LZNfqki7jQSWpWt8FmGBCI_1aGgktPo/s4896/DSC02972.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="4896" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KIDpf_fGE6D0iHqfimpSi1aM9FhBGvfUi6YfHm-Rup_UEnyvIdUDsPt4VC3YD7cBHNmXDqoePPZwSZGnX3sgUfF0ckjJJ1yHFnyBWoSnj8a5Ng-lNSE89sMUwMch3vOkIZ7ivJxJI_BwWIwU4Su_ipt8JbP4LZNfqki7jQSWpWt8FmGBCI_1aGgktPo/w566-h426/DSC02972.JPG" width="566" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">This is what I posted about in 2023.</p><p style="text-align: center;">CAKES AND BAKES - 16</p><p style="text-align: center;">SOUPS - 3</p><p style="text-align: center;">SAVOURIES - 12</p><p style="text-align: center;">DESSERTS - 7</p><p style="text-align: center;">MISCELLANOUS - 2</p><p style="text-align: center;">A VERY HEALTHY AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL !!</p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-26563161608864927362023-12-25T07:49:00.002+00:002023-12-25T07:49:45.651+00:00MERRY CHRISTMAS !!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUa80VuHmMwFApIr7BRU-kAxUTSoOg05q2mby2ytYz1bhhVw0FZ9fXI5H8naYyweKQ9ntxxatPP1DhFzJJ5d-i43-J_ag3R9RhKwPACXG-t3rFgJxQadR1ncrpy4s9kHy9U6q_L0KktNKza_u0iexlzzKNM5FL-Wcl9xq-xU8-Veg7-Zp2y4Ehdt7byE/s4032/IMG_6874.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUa80VuHmMwFApIr7BRU-kAxUTSoOg05q2mby2ytYz1bhhVw0FZ9fXI5H8naYyweKQ9ntxxatPP1DhFzJJ5d-i43-J_ag3R9RhKwPACXG-t3rFgJxQadR1ncrpy4s9kHy9U6q_L0KktNKza_u0iexlzzKNM5FL-Wcl9xq-xU8-Veg7-Zp2y4Ehdt7byE/w480-h640/IMG_6874.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL !!</div><p></p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-27305066255184643292023-12-21T15:55:00.000+00:002023-12-21T15:55:33.113+00:00BEEF CANNELLONI<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhi5e9fX8caSbc5KxpZzwH9y4PTHXKQEE1ynuxKzTQL5fMSKTP6DMVg3EItTGLuDx437YHS2HV0eFpR4ui9w6vRt9Qk-CDTsHQ-XvUEUt6vgWmdtsgO3OzvE6jpkeRbf3An9Pq17DwGPu-Cl4iYblhU0DI90ww-k4OkpVh_HilsSbf8pAWLxh0zkztn8/s4032/IMG_6855.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="437" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhi5e9fX8caSbc5KxpZzwH9y4PTHXKQEE1ynuxKzTQL5fMSKTP6DMVg3EItTGLuDx437YHS2HV0eFpR4ui9w6vRt9Qk-CDTsHQ-XvUEUt6vgWmdtsgO3OzvE6jpkeRbf3An9Pq17DwGPu-Cl4iYblhU0DI90ww-k4OkpVh_HilsSbf8pAWLxh0zkztn8/w328-h437/IMG_6855.jpeg" width="328" /></a></p><div><br /></div>We have really enjoyed the most recent TV series by Mary Berry called "Mary makes it easy". Her guests were all sweetie-pies too and the dishes she cooked all looked very "tempting" - a word she uses herself frequently. <div><p></p></div><div>She’s such a good teacher, scattering useful little hints and tips here and there like sprinkles on a trifle and above all her recipes do work! She really is a national treasure. I could happily cook most of them from this series and the book is on my Christmas wish list. </div><div><br /></div><div>We are now back in the UK for Christmas. We had invited a couple of friends round for dinner a few days before we left France as we won't see them again for a while. I had planned to serve this cannelloni. Sadly, one them developed a bad cold and they cancelled, which was very considerate, as for us to catch it before travelling back would have spoiled our Christmas.</div><div><br /></div><div>However, I had bought a pack of cannelloni tubes and the other ingredients and we were very keen to give the recipe a go. So I scaled it down for just the two of us and it was delicious! Another winner from the marvellous Mary Berry and destined to become a family favourite. The quantity I made would have easily served three but we scoffed the lot between us. It will be on our table on Christmas Eve as that’s how many of us there will be this year, just us and my brother. Thank you Mary!</div><div><br /></div><div>You can see the recipe <a href="https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/mary-berrys-beef-cannelloni-with-basil-and-mozzarella/" target="_blank">here.</a> I didn't have any fresh herbs available but dried herbs worked fine. This is how I adapted it for two (really three) servings:</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>8 cannelloni pasta tubes (or the right number to make a single layer in your dish)</div><div><br /></div><div>1 ball mozzarella, sliced</div><div><br /></div><div>30g grated parmesan cheese (I used the ready grated packet cheese)</div><div><br /></div><div>a splash of olive oil for frying</div><div><br /></div><div>1 small onion, chopped</div><div><br /></div><div>1 clove garlic, peeled and grated or finely chopped</div><div><br /></div><div>200g low fat minced beef</div><div><br /></div><div>1 tblsp plain flour</div><div><br /></div><div>150 ml beef stock, made with half of a stock cube</div><div><br /></div><div>a splash of Worcestershire sauce</div><div><br /></div><div>2 tblsp tomato purée</div><div><br /></div><div>2 tsp dried thyme</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>For the sauce</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>a splash of olive oil for frying</div><div><br /></div><div>1 onion, chopped</div><div><br /></div><div>1 garlic clove, grated or chopped</div><div><br /></div><div>1 400g tin chopped tomatoes</div><div><br /></div><div>a squeeze of tomato purée</div><div><br /></div><div>a pinch of sugar if needed</div><div><br /></div><div>2 tsp dried basil</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Method</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>To make the beef filling for the tubes, fry the onion in hot oil until softened then add the garlic and mince. Fry until browned.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sprinkle over the flour, add the stock, W sauce, thyme and tomato purée and stir until well mixed. Cover and leave to simmer for about 30 minutes while you make the sauce. Add a splash of water if it looks a bit too thick or solid. Once cooked set aside to cool.</div><div><br /></div><div>For the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion until soft. Add the garlic and fry briefly before adding the chopped tomatoes and purée. Add 100ml water (rinsing out the tomato tin) and season with salt and pepper.</div><div><br /></div><div>Stir well, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste the sauce and add the sugar if it seems too sharp. Stir in the basil.</div><div><br /></div><div>Preheat the oven to 200C / 180 fan / gas mk6.</div><div><br /></div><div>Put roughly a third of the sauce in the bottom of your ovenproof dish.</div><div><br /></div><div>Using a teaspoon, fill each pasta tube with the cooled beef mixture and arrange them in a single layer on top of the sauce. Spoon the remaining sauce evenly over the top. Scatter the slices of mozzarella and the parmesan over the sauce and cook in the oven for 35-40 minutes until the cheese has melted and browned and the pasta tubes are soft.</div><div><br /></div><div>Serve immediately with a nice green salad.</div><div><br /></div><div>Serves 3 (or 2 very greedy/hungry people).</div>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-53110547989930005762023-12-12T15:29:00.006+00:002023-12-13T09:50:42.916+00:00PARSNIP, MAPLE SYRUP AND WALNUT BUNDT CAKE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdZHwr8dFhfTyUYQZNeSNy7T3S1fOPlFUWKM6Xi3bZt0-wbxWoLuf_Sf550NP9eUzIYaRP2DFuKD0e9mRvLE5-eOmQ38_GT0Lnme_iLP2IsOSWXaZJZV2raFNN-TV5XJ8JycwYkF6vZBxTBRPASUmVQxYECcrclgc7mm_Iy6PVouG25lTUF44fK50iEs/s448/parsnip%20and%20maple%20syrup%20bundt%20cake3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="448" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdZHwr8dFhfTyUYQZNeSNy7T3S1fOPlFUWKM6Xi3bZt0-wbxWoLuf_Sf550NP9eUzIYaRP2DFuKD0e9mRvLE5-eOmQ38_GT0Lnme_iLP2IsOSWXaZJZV2raFNN-TV5XJ8JycwYkF6vZBxTBRPASUmVQxYECcrclgc7mm_Iy6PVouG25lTUF44fK50iEs/w498-h365/parsnip%20and%20maple%20syrup%20bundt%20cake3.JPG" width="498" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Baking a cake is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding things to do on a wet and windy Sunday afternoon. With my birthday looming I chose a recipe I've had my eye on for a while. For years, in fact. It's a BBC Good Food recipe that you can <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/catherine-berwicks-parsnip-maple-syrup-cake" target="_blank">see here</a>. </div><p style="text-align: left;">The original recipe is for a two layer cake, sandwiched together with a cream cheese filling but I decided to go wild and make it as a Bundt cake. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZuFiEdGlhyphenhyphen_Kf4Lxxd4vpjURJdX1VBX5MsIS8nYHVhrfdEEs-l-CszoiwhjUIsYlhCHmNIWUAOTnYSTXJmGPl7YLuB41SnPVjRaKjWd6mTs88TDNhLfnWpCTT7On-1evv_jnqOA-2dbH-JLR7_v4znI8XglOYBCe3KLgV-gOR3OCErDDFOG3k8yhnTY/s439/parsnip%20and%20maple%20syrup%20bundt%20cake.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="439" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZuFiEdGlhyphenhyphen_Kf4Lxxd4vpjURJdX1VBX5MsIS8nYHVhrfdEEs-l-CszoiwhjUIsYlhCHmNIWUAOTnYSTXJmGPl7YLuB41SnPVjRaKjWd6mTs88TDNhLfnWpCTT7On-1evv_jnqOA-2dbH-JLR7_v4znI8XglOYBCe3KLgV-gOR3OCErDDFOG3k8yhnTY/w472-h361/parsnip%20and%20maple%20syrup%20bundt%20cake.JPG" width="472" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Even with my recipe for foolproof cake release paste, it's always a nervous moment turning out a Bundt cake. Especially when it's a recipe that is not specifically for a Bundt.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirls9MfczPmR-f-NYZ2oO7ud99yUnKVFbe57i-CrwAfKTUxqctE_kj6Z1U6MnwzFTSuRkQ3iAZWf-MvZ7r-amby6FMtVgp2IxHCDraHJI_IR8S1Jpfnr-ltt-q0fDiZJXvEXg42VwwICjibxjCMXFJP9o0EXPQxMUAFEib9FP5iwNOZbK00z6FlCIx39I/s417/parsnip%20and%20maple%20syrup%20bundt%20cake4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="417" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirls9MfczPmR-f-NYZ2oO7ud99yUnKVFbe57i-CrwAfKTUxqctE_kj6Z1U6MnwzFTSuRkQ3iAZWf-MvZ7r-amby6FMtVgp2IxHCDraHJI_IR8S1Jpfnr-ltt-q0fDiZJXvEXg42VwwICjibxjCMXFJP9o0EXPQxMUAFEib9FP5iwNOZbK00z6FlCIx39I/w484-h390/parsnip%20and%20maple%20syrup%20bundt%20cake4.JPG" width="484" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I needn't have worried. I cooled the cake in the tin for ten minutes and it plopped out instantly with a very reassuring thud. You can see the recipe (if you can call it that) for the cake release<a href="https://bakinginfranglais.blogspot.com/2019/10/home-made-cake-release-no-more-bundt.html" target="_blank"> here.</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've given it two stars in the fiddle factor as I find grating parsnips (or carrots) rather tedious. Not to mention dangerous as proved by the sticking plaster now adorning my thumb! However, I used an old tip by Mary Berry for grating the apple. Don't bother peeling it, cut in half vertically, remove the core with a teaspoon or melon baller and then grate the cut side. You will be left holding the peel with the apple nicely grated and fingers intact!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I used walnuts rather than the pecans in the recipe, as that’s what I had in stock, and of course there was no filling or icing to be done, just a light dusting with icing sugar.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0n1zSef3KMznMplh9UflTy1acttOn6haT2C_xZTo82iQY93ycdAbfYijxk8iz_olLMUY3vMO_wEVkU8K2OkJ2dU42-_2ALrCPrZITQ3g1yH-n0ow9QRBTAzbc85M0g-LkEX6y7xNG72UssxYC73i7XVOwCdYc98GOQjMxk64EY10lj-WJLOohUd3vWNE/s448/parsnip%20and%20maple%20syrup%20bundt%20cake5.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="448" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0n1zSef3KMznMplh9UflTy1acttOn6haT2C_xZTo82iQY93ycdAbfYijxk8iz_olLMUY3vMO_wEVkU8K2OkJ2dU42-_2ALrCPrZITQ3g1yH-n0ow9QRBTAzbc85M0g-LkEX6y7xNG72UssxYC73i7XVOwCdYc98GOQjMxk64EY10lj-WJLOohUd3vWNE/w475-h354/parsnip%20and%20maple%20syrup%20bundt%20cake5.JPG" width="475" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">It was a delicious cake. It didn’t taste overly sweet which is remarkable considering how much sugar there was in it plus the maple syrup. And you would never have known it had been anywhere near a parsnip!. The texture was close and amply firm enough to cope with a Bundt tin. I will try it in a more elaborate design next time.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As an aside……</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I often read the comments on internet recipes. They frequently provide excellent suggestions and tips and can be very amusing. Like this one:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); color: #2a2e2e; font-size: 15px;">"My cake looked exquisite as I took it out of the oven after baking for 50 minutes: beautifully domed and cracked on top and such a lovely colour. However, once I turned it out 7 or so minutes later, the middle fell right through the cooling rack leaving a rather good imitation of a cowpat on the kitchen surface. Can't for the life of me figure out where I went wrong. :("</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); color: #2a2e2e; font-family: inherit;">Oh dear! I'm sure many of us have had our cowpat moments! </span></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); color: #2a2e2e; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); color: #2a2e2e; font-family: inherit;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></div><div><p></p><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;">175g butter, diced</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;">250g demerara sugar</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;">100ml maple syrup</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;">3 large eggs</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;">250g self raising flour</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;">2 tsp baking powder</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;">2 tsp mixed spice</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;">250g parsnips, peeled and grated</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;">1 eating apple, peeled and grated</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;">50g walnuts, roughly chopped</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;">1 small orange, zest and juice</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Method</u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #2a2e2e;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); color: #2a2e2e; font-family: inherit;">Put the butter, sugar and syrup into a large saucepan and heat gently until all melted together. Set aside to cool slightly.</span></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); color: #2a2e2e; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); color: #2a2e2e; font-family: inherit;">Preheat the oven to 180C / 160 fan / gas mk 4. Brush the inside of a large Bundt tin with cake release paste, making sure you get into all the nooks and crannies.</span></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); color: #2a2e2e; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); color: #2a2e2e; font-family: inherit;">Whisk the eggs into the sugar mixture until well blended. Add the flour, baking powder and spice and stir until well combined.</span></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); color: #2a2e2e; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); color: #2a2e2e; font-family: inherit;">Add the parsnip, apple, nuts, orange zest and juice and mix well.</span></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); color: #2a2e2e; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); color: #2a2e2e; font-family: inherit;">Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, tap on the worktop a few times to settle the mixture and dispel any air bubbles, and bake for 40-45 minutes until done. </span></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); color: #2a2e2e; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); color: #2a2e2e; font-family: inherit;">Leave in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.</span></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); color: #2a2e2e; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); color: #2a2e2e; font-family: inherit;">Dust with icing sugar before serving.</span></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); color: #2a2e2e; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 46, 46); color: #2a2e2e; font-family: inherit;">Cuts into 10-12 slices.</span></div></div>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-83610322923540836382023-12-09T08:37:00.000+00:002023-12-12T08:24:16.765+00:00PARMESAN BISCUITS (canapé size)<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKd7rVCzIN1ISC6mpSV-pTxn_URIds1-aRA6FODjR-fEZY7D6BKsE_b-hAHuO3Fc26pHIWayQ40i0mSzQZdxEn8Yl6S_4LAoC2ahRe8BYjN4GWl6YD27nTRc5Aj2i6Frjrxntz6IuREQpNoFjvz0pMRn33e911IRhPBOOC1I-qd9939E_dsNDfZuvRo4/s448/parmesan%20biscuits.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="303" data-original-width="448" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKd7rVCzIN1ISC6mpSV-pTxn_URIds1-aRA6FODjR-fEZY7D6BKsE_b-hAHuO3Fc26pHIWayQ40i0mSzQZdxEn8Yl6S_4LAoC2ahRe8BYjN4GWl6YD27nTRc5Aj2i6Frjrxntz6IuREQpNoFjvz0pMRn33e911IRhPBOOC1I-qd9939E_dsNDfZuvRo4/w485-h328/parmesan%20biscuits.JPG" width="485" /></a></p><p>I recently spent a happy half hour (or more) leafing through my cook books for recipes for nibbles. We had friends coming for lunch and I found myself with the luxury of time on my hands that would enable me to do more than just spread some paté on bits of toast or put olives in a dish.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2XnPqW2BWys4HiiDMCUNHYjWN3yW_DmwUintDjHWXL8oesHsm8XZn_v79o-DxKCR6CSeKHnSZqi3EVYhOyKUKz22ffDY0rJ0GSmPdlsfbmTf1Y2QGa8RDnxz2Bx7vf66wzbaKsYg6A84Pm4TAcBfPZO6b4dhAOZXlfDcjzgqZjD9cnwVW4zpxV5djurI/s448/parmesan%20biscuits2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="448" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2XnPqW2BWys4HiiDMCUNHYjWN3yW_DmwUintDjHWXL8oesHsm8XZn_v79o-DxKCR6CSeKHnSZqi3EVYhOyKUKz22ffDY0rJ0GSmPdlsfbmTf1Y2QGa8RDnxz2Bx7vf66wzbaKsYg6A84Pm4TAcBfPZO6b4dhAOZXlfDcjzgqZjD9cnwVW4zpxV5djurI/w479-h334/parmesan%20biscuits2.JPG" width="479" /></a></p><p>I found a Nigella Lawson recipe that I liked the look of and with all the ingredients to hand thought it worth a try. The recipe makes a bowl full of little cheesy biscuits for now and enough mixture to freeze half of it for later. Always a good idea in my book!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8YC7GPtDnWj0g8RPpIZV2F91FaUtKn1tdZOJDbcwKP-6VmmUYiekkH7JQF8qmIZgIWwULtE2MmGD30OOOurxdQ7AONVcRra1Gdx3OtB8vPJHCuoEw2h9FfEvxRaxF7iE4NISCKQB6Nk-D4Ik9h_L9BGnySSlfE-4UZ-S7kN-P-jkvyIyL4_1Ip2HEl0/s448/parmesan%20biscuits3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="331" data-original-width="448" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8YC7GPtDnWj0g8RPpIZV2F91FaUtKn1tdZOJDbcwKP-6VmmUYiekkH7JQF8qmIZgIWwULtE2MmGD30OOOurxdQ7AONVcRra1Gdx3OtB8vPJHCuoEw2h9FfEvxRaxF7iE4NISCKQB6Nk-D4Ik9h_L9BGnySSlfE-4UZ-S7kN-P-jkvyIyL4_1Ip2HEl0/w476-h351/parmesan%20biscuits3.JPG" width="476" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Very easy to do, delicious and highly recommended.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoumqupkxPIpsaNwRKxxVpFsu6iIjXcUoTr1nQfGawRbG60kppFQHdKQcxkD-lO1QJ7CifTQQHyiMd88YzkamJORrFpu4AqEhX4aWhsVI28y9v9kaOfAemIvvni6La52EtR17kkw2fNDWp0P-bE4x4ji-5wDqvsFnTvj2Ih5lWWAd_rvImYI7scb-HTLw/s448/parmesan%20biscuits4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="448" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoumqupkxPIpsaNwRKxxVpFsu6iIjXcUoTr1nQfGawRbG60kppFQHdKQcxkD-lO1QJ7CifTQQHyiMd88YzkamJORrFpu4AqEhX4aWhsVI28y9v9kaOfAemIvvni6La52EtR17kkw2fNDWp0P-bE4x4ji-5wDqvsFnTvj2Ih5lWWAd_rvImYI7scb-HTLw/w476-h351/parmesan%20biscuits4.JPG" width="476" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">And then there were three!</p><p><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></p><p>150g plain flour</p><p>75g grated parmesan (I used the ready grated kind as that's what I had in)</p><p>100g butter, softened</p><p>1 egg yolk</p><p><b><u>Method</u></b></p><p>Put all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix together using an electric hand mixer until it comes together in a large clump.</p><p>Transfer to a work surface and knead briefly until smooth. Divide roughly into equal halves.</p><p>Take one half and roll it into a log then an even cylinder about 3cm diameter, with nice flat ends. Wrap in cling film, twist the ends to secure and chill for at least 45 minutes or until needed, by which time it should be firm enough to slice easily. Repeat with the other half of the dough.</p><p>Preheat the oven to 180C / 160 fan / gas mk4.</p>Unwrap one or both cylinders and slice neatly and evenly into discs about 1cm thick. I got 20 discs from my first one (the second is in the freezer). Some of my discs looked rather irregular in shape but miraculously turned into nice neat circles when cooked.<p></p><p>Arrange on a baking sheet lined with baking paper (one sheet for each cyslinder) and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes until a pale golden brown (depending on how thick the discs are).</p><p>Makes about 20 biscuits per log. Store in an airtight tin or box (if there are any left!).</p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-27296979742720147352023-12-06T17:58:00.006+00:002023-12-07T16:16:08.907+00:00QUEEN OF PUDDINGS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEOTnmW0inYvXMw-3qrRIzH8MJlyk39RXCI5ma8k-BIyDQR1Uiqba3mOTIzXJIoTIUg6vOWI_OFpTGMb0scYHluZakZh2uIdOGhyphenhyphenUQTtDWwpJR8ijfO0gIy1a84IgZ5jP32vEaqaPuZ6vk1926rhA1N7lMDhexOozXyPJ_VRDnfT6G324HMAyCjdJ0V8/s448/queen%20of%20puddings2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="448" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEOTnmW0inYvXMw-3qrRIzH8MJlyk39RXCI5ma8k-BIyDQR1Uiqba3mOTIzXJIoTIUg6vOWI_OFpTGMb0scYHluZakZh2uIdOGhyphenhyphenUQTtDWwpJR8ijfO0gIy1a84IgZ5jP32vEaqaPuZ6vk1926rhA1N7lMDhexOozXyPJ_VRDnfT6G324HMAyCjdJ0V8/w448-h335/queen%20of%20puddings2.JPG" width="448" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This is a Delia Smith recipe for six individual puddings which requires six small glass ovenproof dishes or large ramekins. I had some white ceramic ramekins of the right size but spotted some glass dishes that would do the job in a local supermarket. The nice thing about glass dishes is that you can see the layers!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They are actually mini mixing bowls but they had the word "tempered" engraved on the bottom which to me suggested they were ovenproof, like Pyrex. The lady on the checkout didn’t know and was clearly puzzled why I needed to know. I bought one and took it home to try it in the oven. It was fine so I went back for another five, leaving the same checkout lady convinced that the English are completely bonkers!</div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkV1Vd8cNYbPWN_NOE3hjTvyzEQHVkx8vWzUPB4A5HDJFCJX_UCeLFL11H_Uqu94mC-bPSXaiKarR0GQMJehgFWqBPg2Sjahu_lP1k-b5blfzTJ4pwTEBFo-7dKvlzLKnpArI2mWnJixGXe7R8zUkoTf0zIp4EHNUqpOisxhDE73-zemrA9e1Rkn3MSDE/s448/queen%20of%20puddings.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="448" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkV1Vd8cNYbPWN_NOE3hjTvyzEQHVkx8vWzUPB4A5HDJFCJX_UCeLFL11H_Uqu94mC-bPSXaiKarR0GQMJehgFWqBPg2Sjahu_lP1k-b5blfzTJ4pwTEBFo-7dKvlzLKnpArI2mWnJixGXe7R8zUkoTf0zIp4EHNUqpOisxhDE73-zemrA9e1Rkn3MSDE/w470-h325/queen%20of%20puddings.JPG" width="470" /></a></p><p>I made them for friends who came to lunch the other day and they were an enormous hit, evoking fond memories of home baking and school dinners. Most of us hadn’t had anything like it for decades and it sparked a lively conversation!</p><p>They were easy enough to make although the timing was tricky. I made the base of egg mixture and jam the day before, the kitchen being cool enough overnight without having to find space for them in the fridge. I got the egg whites ready in a bowl and sugar measured out before the gang arrived, whisked up the meringue and baked them when the main course came out of the oven. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihI0_MOmhJnWzmuumYrErRdbAZW5FfyhNha_RkL1S5XGe4U_JZag2wLEpl3oR2G2-lwa7fmXNIvNzeJK5SDJFwVwHLCwViNkshKFnUT1VAGfz8BBNMrkJb9efklzSwprT28lLGwGPl3n12JjfChff3xdpNTJpb-2JeMYvHolGcE6pM6L2nJ2xbPEETX0I/s448/queen%20of%20puddings3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="448" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihI0_MOmhJnWzmuumYrErRdbAZW5FfyhNha_RkL1S5XGe4U_JZag2wLEpl3oR2G2-lwa7fmXNIvNzeJK5SDJFwVwHLCwViNkshKFnUT1VAGfz8BBNMrkJb9efklzSwprT28lLGwGPl3n12JjfChff3xdpNTJpb-2JeMYvHolGcE6pM6L2nJ2xbPEETX0I/w497-h344/queen%20of%20puddings3.JPG" width="497" /></a></p><p>They were still nice and warm when we ate them. Delicious! (Because there are several steps and you have to think about the timing I have given the recipe two stars in terms of how fiddly it is!)</p><p>It has occurred to me that these puddings would make a nice alternative to Christmas pudding! You could make the breadcrumb base on Christmas Eve and finish off on the big day.</p><p>(I have posted about Queen of puddings before, a completely different recipe, that you can <a href="https://bakinginfranglais.blogspot.com/2015/05/rhubarb-queen-of-puddings.html" target="_blank">see here.</a>)</p><p><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></p><p>1 pint of milk</p><p>10g butter</p><p>110g fresh white breadcrumbs</p><p>100g caster sugar (plus a little extra for sprinkling)</p><p>1 lemon (zest only)</p><p>3 large eggs, separated</p><p>6 dessertspoons, or about half a jar, of cherry jam (or any other red jam of your choice)</p><p><b><u>Method</u></b></p><p>Butter six suitable ovenproof dishes, whether ceramic or glass.</p><p>Put the milk into a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat.</p><p>To make the breadcrumbs, weigh slices of bread to make 110g and blitz in a food processor. </p><p>Stir the butter, breadcrumbs, 60g of the sugar and the lemon zest into the hot milk. Set aside for about 20 minutes to allow the breadcrumbs to swell.</p><p>Preheat the oven to 180C / 160 fan / gas mk4.</p><p>Put the whites on one side in a grease free bowl or container. Beat the yolks and whisk them into the breadcrumb mixture.</p><p>Divide the mixture between the six dishes and bake on a baking tray for about 25 minutes until set.</p><p>At this stage you can either proceed and finish the puddings or set aside until nearer the time when you want to serve them, or overnight.</p><p>Spread a layer of jam over the breadcrumb mixture, heating the jam to make it more spreadable if necessary.</p><p>Preheat the oven as before. </p><p>Add the remaining 40g sugar to the egg whites and use an electric hand whisk to beat them to stiff peaks. Pile this evenly on the puddings, making sure you spread out to the edges of each dish and creating little peaks. Sprinkle with a little extra caster sugar.</p><p>Return the tray of puddings to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until the meringues are golden brown.</p><p>Serve hot or just warm. Leftovers kept in the fridge are also nice cold.</p><p>Makes 6 individual puddings.</p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-45972882599852793082023-12-03T08:31:00.002+00:002023-12-04T15:17:52.129+00:00BROWNIES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Vq-rW2HkrhBlpjkLjK7OCNpnbesV-2Fxl34ktZIujlz6mfY-h9pQDlwrvlVesa93CJbA9iQ66XoTX7c1f5KnNP2QqYyfywccJYtPxNn3uvgmR7keUCYz2uMiSs1bzd9y6CHVZuR-mVcnLDkVoT028qdt0U7IDmlacS-mpyyfcehJkVvlhU-I_co9Y-c/s448/brownies2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="448" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Vq-rW2HkrhBlpjkLjK7OCNpnbesV-2Fxl34ktZIujlz6mfY-h9pQDlwrvlVesa93CJbA9iQ66XoTX7c1f5KnNP2QqYyfywccJYtPxNn3uvgmR7keUCYz2uMiSs1bzd9y6CHVZuR-mVcnLDkVoT028qdt0U7IDmlacS-mpyyfcehJkVvlhU-I_co9Y-c/w497-h360/brownies2.JPG" width="497" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">I wanted to bake something for the walking group that was quick and easy, preferably a traybake, and brownies came to mind. I hadn’t made brownies for years and looked for a recipe that didn't require melted chocolate as I didn't have any real chocolate to melt except for a bag of chocolate chips. <a href="https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/chocolate-brownies/" target="_blank">This one</a> by Mary Berry has to be the easiest recipe ever.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipa9iIqmRlZTRr8lAe5vrombyhVIhsD2Jmnr58LWnVSCmGQCTAIg-P3r7KmtHQnRbq1GNuwqRy5mUoDASixwsxoKK9jpq425E__bplsB3yryPQZJ9jo4OgXdnMQGAt-g4kGnaruG8LBBSsQ1LIGxIysuBI8MEjqk4e2zCBdq_3N81TPzxZATcCUVdjxkA/s448/brownies3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="448" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipa9iIqmRlZTRr8lAe5vrombyhVIhsD2Jmnr58LWnVSCmGQCTAIg-P3r7KmtHQnRbq1GNuwqRy5mUoDASixwsxoKK9jpq425E__bplsB3yryPQZJ9jo4OgXdnMQGAt-g4kGnaruG8LBBSsQ1LIGxIysuBI8MEjqk4e2zCBdq_3N81TPzxZATcCUVdjxkA/w495-h305/brownies3.JPG" width="495" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">They turned out to be really good with a crusty top and a squidgy middle.</p><p style="text-align: center;">What more could you want?!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDHG_vPLolBRZ7fmr3W5dJP45qNZZx6I9VgIhwNdFR_nkxkwIz3gZD-6N1N0WgCpqYB0C_330PTakVUQZSVHPBgWlr3Rv_HGqjvysA2n5rNKMqWavO12lnQrYwO6WnIvFMwU7IWIIaF9k46hnlt4Cqan90smMrAz7mmzxhDXf_yFquUfu7rv72txJlP0/s448/brownies4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="448" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDHG_vPLolBRZ7fmr3W5dJP45qNZZx6I9VgIhwNdFR_nkxkwIz3gZD-6N1N0WgCpqYB0C_330PTakVUQZSVHPBgWlr3Rv_HGqjvysA2n5rNKMqWavO12lnQrYwO6WnIvFMwU7IWIIaF9k46hnlt4Cqan90smMrAz7mmzxhDXf_yFquUfu7rv72txJlP0/w482-h322/brownies4.JPG" width="482" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></p><p style="text-align: left;">275g softened butter</p><p style="text-align: left;">375g caster sugar</p><p style="text-align: left;">4 large eggs</p><p style="text-align: left;">75g cocoa powder</p><p style="text-align: left;">100g plain flour</p><p style="text-align: left;">100g dark chocolate chips</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Method</u></b></p><p style="text-align: left;">Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160° fan / gas mk 4. Grease a large baking tin or roasting tin measuring about 30 x 23cm and line with baking paper. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Put all of the ingredients except for the chocolate chips into a large mixing bowl and beat together using an electric mixer or a wooden spoon and a hefty amount of muscle power! I started with the wooden spoon but resorted to a hand held mixer which was working very hard. Next time I will use my Kenwood food mixer.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Add the chocolate chips and stir in. Transfer to the tin and level the top. Tap on the worktop a few times to settle the mixture and dispel any air bubbles.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Bake for 30 minutes then cover loosely with foil. Bake for a further 10 minutes until just done. Over baking will cause the brownies to lose their gooey centre. Cool in the tin.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Cuts into 24 generous squares. </p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-70386013705242076052023-11-27T12:44:00.008+00:002024-02-05T08:39:32.779+00:00PLUM AND APPLE CRUMBLE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihFTxFL4zPf3quUutuxadEzvwLnHzmu-hl2OGYdyH4XuG6vjj6CAhBC7m3sOHURzoZ77SwCgNaySJApI7bd8BfMOBFACsEdgUO7Kv5kvqg9GO8m-Nga7l7CFWtkLjpf5agdm9ygPucdpLruIXZlcicrXMQUlw0H7mmMWCRg2HjO3y2WPShKzBBJf8hq-A/s448/apple%20crumble2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="448" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihFTxFL4zPf3quUutuxadEzvwLnHzmu-hl2OGYdyH4XuG6vjj6CAhBC7m3sOHURzoZ77SwCgNaySJApI7bd8BfMOBFACsEdgUO7Kv5kvqg9GO8m-Nga7l7CFWtkLjpf5agdm9ygPucdpLruIXZlcicrXMQUlw0H7mmMWCRg2HjO3y2WPShKzBBJf8hq-A/w494-h371/apple%20crumble2.JPG" width="494" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Never in a million years did I think that I would need to consult a recipe for a crumble. I have, after all, been making crumbles for about sixty years, ever since I first started helping my mum to make the Sunday dinner.</div><div><br /></div><div>Crumbles in those days were very basic, either apple or rhubarb, using Bramley cooking apples bought from the greengrocer van that came round on Friday evenings, or rhubarb from the rhubarb patch at the top of the garden behind the greenhouse. At the right time of year there would be wild blackberries to add to the apples.</div><div><br /></div><div>They would be made the same way as pastry, half fat to flour, usually margarine, rubbed in by hand. There were no embellishments, just fruit and crumble topping served with Bird's custard. They were not fancy, just plain home cooked fare.</div><div><br /></div><div>I made my crumbles like this for decades and always had some block margarine in the fridge for that purpose. When I got my first food processor I made my pastry and crumble mix in that which saved a bit of time.</div><div><br /></div><div>Latterly I have become extremely lazy. Fruit chucked into the bottom of the dish with - <i>quelle horreur</i> - shop bought crumble mix on the top. Maybe sprinkled with a few flaked almonds.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5OPMdVCSEe6MnzOyU6Bly1jklGb7txm0CYo0dMgeT7BplI-zl2uZxYeZNIhYfrwgWrSOoYbhoWY7KdOd2sXmZwUwgNfqpMpA6SWMVFrM9WkkLXNocgY9EUKy6DFw4xLLFIbOo5Ynx3yZBn9tk604yhhVoyM9cNUBATyvqUQO7GoTq5NUAlO11VnCbeGQ/s448/apple%20crumble.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="448" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5OPMdVCSEe6MnzOyU6Bly1jklGb7txm0CYo0dMgeT7BplI-zl2uZxYeZNIhYfrwgWrSOoYbhoWY7KdOd2sXmZwUwgNfqpMpA6SWMVFrM9WkkLXNocgY9EUKy6DFw4xLLFIbOo5Ynx3yZBn9tk604yhhVoyM9cNUBATyvqUQO7GoTq5NUAlO11VnCbeGQ/w490-h368/apple%20crumble.JPG" width="490" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>With friends coming round for supper I had decided to make a crumble and thought it was time I should up my game. Hence the hunt for an actual recipe and the first one I liked the look of is by Mary Berry which you can <a href="https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/mary-berrys-apple-crumble/" target="_blank">see here</a>. The main difference is that the proportion of butter to flour is greater than half and the sugar used for the topping is demerara. I had plenty of time so even rubbed the butter into the flour by hand! </div><div><br /></div><div>A crumble is a popular dessert in restaurants in this part of France I had noticed that the topping is often fairly thin, sometimes barely covering the fruit layer. Quite different from my home made crumbles which had a good thick layer of topping. Having decided to use a small bag of my cinnamon baked plums <a href="https://bakinginfranglais.blogspot.com/2023/08/cinnamon-baked-plums-and-biscuit.html" target="_blank">(see here)</a> from the freezer, I supplemented it with a few apples and then wondered if the quantity of crumble in the recipe might be too much. So, I made 1½ times the quantity, used half and put the other half in a bag in the freezer ready for another day.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was lovely, deep golden and fudgy and the demerara sugar sprinkled on top gave it quite a sparkly, glamorous appearance. This is the way I will be making my crumbles in future. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>For the fruit layer</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>About 12oz plums</div><div><br /></div><div>2 tblsp soft light brown sugar</div><div><br /></div><div>a sprinkling of cinnamon</div><div><br /></div><div>3-4 eating apples</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>For the crumble topping</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>9oz plain flour</div><div><br /></div><div>6oz cold butter, cubed</div><div><br /></div><div>3oz demerara sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)</div><div><br /></div><div>*I have used imperial weights, i.e. ounces instead of grams, because that was easier when calculating the increased quantities compared to the original recipe! </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Method</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Preheat the oven to 200° C / 180° fan / gas mk 6 and butter a suitable shallow baking dish. Mine was about 20cm square.</div><div><br /></div><div>My plums were ready cooked and in the freezer (see text) but if you are using fresh plums, wash them, cut in half and remove the stones then cut into quarters. Put into a large saucepan with a tblsp of water, the brown sugar and cinnamon. Peel the apples, slice them straight into the pan with the plums (discarding the cores) and cook gently until just soft. Add a little more water if necessary and stir often. Set aside to cool while you make the crumble topping.</div><div><br /></div><div>To make the crumble topping, put the flour, butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Rub together using your fingertips until you have the appearance of breadcrumbs. A few larger clumps will be fine.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tip the fruit into the baking dish and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle roughly half of the crumble topping over the fruit and bag the other half for the freezer.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sprinkle a little extra demerara sugar over the top and bake for 20 minutes.</div><div>Then lower the oven temperature to 180° C / 160° fan / gas mk 4 and continue baking for a further 20 minutes by which time the topping should be golden brown and the fruit bubbling slightly at the edges of the dish. Keep your eye on it and check after 10 minutes to make sure it's not overcooked or burning.</div><div><br /></div><div>Serves 6 portions. Plus the extra crumble mix which is frozen for future use. Thaw at room temperature for an hour or so before using. </div><div><br /></div><div>Update: I have since made the crumble using the food processor instead of rubbing in by hand, stopping before the crumbs were completely even in appearance. In other words, left a few lumpy bits. It was just as good!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I feel compelled to mention here the plate!</div><div style="text-align: left;">At our local déchèterie (council tip or recycling centre) there is a large table where people can put unwanted items that are still good. You can simply help yourself. There were huge piles of crockery the other day and tea plates like this are very useful for the larger gatherings that I sometimes host, or to lend out to others for theirs. They are very pretty so I took six of them.</div>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-64941099958091762922023-11-18T13:18:00.009+00:002023-12-28T09:32:48.766+00:00PORK WITH PRUNES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5eeFOXnXtMBPUV0FWtoKWy9_VGELT_9uhUIT5PLRkIL8kyK5lLfOFZMKLA8M_pnJHbJcm5y6YzX0NmhUfJxtB2ILAoVv4sVsJnEqcbE9449WoihkXUgCp1o-sOj48cPw_GABP5zEP56ycdImjsJ1CPMMi2i0AdhIAGgXPk4ScayxqPSv1-zJOD5-X4M/s448/pork%20with%20prunes.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="448" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5eeFOXnXtMBPUV0FWtoKWy9_VGELT_9uhUIT5PLRkIL8kyK5lLfOFZMKLA8M_pnJHbJcm5y6YzX0NmhUfJxtB2ILAoVv4sVsJnEqcbE9449WoihkXUgCp1o-sOj48cPw_GABP5zEP56ycdImjsJ1CPMMi2i0AdhIAGgXPk4ScayxqPSv1-zJOD5-X4M/w444-h304/pork%20with%20prunes.JPG" width="444" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">We recently invited friends round for a midweek dinner at short notice. We had commitments during the day they were coming so planning the meal was a challenge. It was therefore a question of combining a quick trip to the shop with what we already had in stock and cooking something that wouldn't take all day in the kitchen to produce.</p><p>I looked up what I could do with the two pork steaks I already had, settled on<a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/pork-with-prunes" target="_blank"> this recipe</a> and went to the nearest shop. I ended up with a menu of <a href="https://bakinginfranglais.blogspot.com/2023/04/palestine-soup-soup-maker-recipe.html" target="_blank">Palestine soup</a> (because the shop had Jerusalem artichokes) followed by pork with prunes, <a href="https://bakinginfranglais.blogspot.com/2013/12/hasselback-potatoes.html" target="_blank">hassleback potatoes</a> (because we had plenty of potatoes), green beans (in the freezer) and <a href="https://bakinginfranglais.blogspot.com/2017/12/pumpkin-pie.html" target="_blank">pumpkin pie</a> for dessert (I had a tin of pumpkin purée). All I needed to get was two more pork steaks, a bag of prunes, a pack of ready made pastry, a jar of redcurrant jelly and a tin of evaporated milk. All available in the little supermarket (with the added bonus of spotting the artichokes). I decided to use white wine rather than buy cider for the casserole as we had some already.</p><p>The soup was done in the soup maker earlier in the day while the pie cooked in the oven, both to be warmed up later. The casserole and potatoes were happy to tickle along in the rather unpredictable woodburner oven in the afternoon while I laid the table and were ready when the guests arrived.</p><p>Apologies for the poor photo which I suddenly remembered to snap just before I took it to the table. It was delicious. The sweetness of the prunes and redcurrant jelly along with the creaminess of the crème fraîche turned it from a simple casserole into something rather special. I shall definitely be doing this again.</p><p>Update……after a late afternoon visit to M&S in the UK between Christmas and New Year we came home with some amazing and fabulous yellow sticker items (called anti gaspi in France!). This included two gorgeous pork steaks. I didn’t have any redcurrant jelly so used cranberry sauce instead. It was delicious!</p><p><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></p><p>2 tblsp sunflower oil</p><p>4 pork loin steaks, halved (or 500g cubed pork)</p><p>1 large onion, chopped</p><p>1 heaped tblsp crème fraîche</p><p>100 ml chicken stock (made with half a chicken stock cube or stock pot)</p><p>250 ml white wine</p><p>1 tblsp redcurrant jelly (or try cranberry sauce)</p><p>1 tsp Dijon mustard</p><p>16 prunes</p><p>2 level tsp cornflour</p><p><b><u>Method</u></b></p><p>Heat 1 tblsp of the oil in a frying pan and brown the pork steaks or pieces in two batches. Transfer to a casserole or oven proof dish.</p><p>Add the remaining oil and the onions to the pan and cook for a few minutes until soft.</p><p>Mix the crème fraîche with the stock and add to the pan with the redcurrant jelly, wine and mustard. Stir to combine, bring to the boil then transfer to the casserole dish. Then add the pork with the prunes. Stir, cover and cook in the oven at 180°C / 160° fan / gas mk 4 for about 25 minutes or until the meat is tender. </p><p>Mix the cornflour with 2 tblsp water and stir into the casserole, returning it to the oven for another 5 minutes to thicken the sauce.</p><p>Serves 4.</p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-21146835205350980352023-11-16T09:12:00.000+00:002023-11-16T09:12:44.989+00:00GREEN TOMATO CHUTNEY<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYU62ipDWuS3QDRfDFk2f21cXN2nhrZSjXS-7iur2rtYelCwOoPzJhz7bAyCxxjHA1qXmmaKDiDVlxnFXToLyVbfgmAI-9KVKaeQSYNkpFhbXEl2s4bsMrkWKd5F8da4NHW-E5TsZTgQOB_1jyCyfOIt9BkooA3tb1BTVS2E8dcYbDxVbCHxMdoe7Ay50/s448/green%20tomato%20chutney5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="448" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYU62ipDWuS3QDRfDFk2f21cXN2nhrZSjXS-7iur2rtYelCwOoPzJhz7bAyCxxjHA1qXmmaKDiDVlxnFXToLyVbfgmAI-9KVKaeQSYNkpFhbXEl2s4bsMrkWKd5F8da4NHW-E5TsZTgQOB_1jyCyfOIt9BkooA3tb1BTVS2E8dcYbDxVbCHxMdoe7Ay50/w503-h362/green%20tomato%20chutney5.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">We harvested the last of the tomatoes the other day, dug up the plants and dispatched them to the compost heap. All but one of the tomatoes were hard and green.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I had made green tomato chutney in the past and was not too thrilled with it but this time we had so many good tomatoes that it seemed a shame not to do something with them. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6tfFDZfaS1Ok-LLoQorpOG47x7pDTKrN8ckVdDAo7Aq9ruTiE5hbtS6ZusQpztT4-Nm2QL8ESuaNmGDHcF31oB0zSo8AhIxrOVc1JNF1FVnvLBpyZ5ZzvIWxUnCWaRRmtJQH9UY3gQ45tHzarfr1rEWyaVNMicKXVBQ5oUV9zAU2nK8DEKXrkbjPNII/s447/green%20tomato%20chutney2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="447" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6tfFDZfaS1Ok-LLoQorpOG47x7pDTKrN8ckVdDAo7Aq9ruTiE5hbtS6ZusQpztT4-Nm2QL8ESuaNmGDHcF31oB0zSo8AhIxrOVc1JNF1FVnvLBpyZ5ZzvIWxUnCWaRRmtJQH9UY3gQ45tHzarfr1rEWyaVNMicKXVBQ5oUV9zAU2nK8DEKXrkbjPNII/w487-h367/green%20tomato%20chutney2.JPG" width="487" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;">With the rain pouring down outside and the wind howling it seemed like the perfect day to do some cooking on the wood burning stove so I searched online for a different recipe. It was a Sunday and the shops were shut so I looked for one where I could use what I had in the house.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tboEaALkZFOQsD-M7VUi26fMfrp2utXCM-OsiGu2pC6CUaXF_Tij5m6Uw4LMQlQN6lWxUAu_1fPqwEHl0LuKcw44BRZO7SrFxg42NV4tPOZwN4zT17H0YjD9goL_W6qSpeEslPF2UeiMCZDeLcrjNHheIBksoLo-ZoVFoX89yWmk8nisXqN4A1lCp7I/s448/green%20tomato%20chutney3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="321" data-original-width="448" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tboEaALkZFOQsD-M7VUi26fMfrp2utXCM-OsiGu2pC6CUaXF_Tij5m6Uw4LMQlQN6lWxUAu_1fPqwEHl0LuKcw44BRZO7SrFxg42NV4tPOZwN4zT17H0YjD9goL_W6qSpeEslPF2UeiMCZDeLcrjNHheIBksoLo-ZoVFoX89yWmk8nisXqN4A1lCp7I/w496-h355/green%20tomato%20chutney3.JPG" width="496" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">You can see the original recipe on the Waitrose website <a href="https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/recipe/green-tomato-chutney" target="_blank">here.</a> I didn't have any mustard seeds so used ready made wholegrain mustard instead. The only vinegar I had was this one which is brown vinegar with added honey. I didn't have a cooking apple so used two eating apples (golden delicious). (I omitted the chilli as I personally can't eat it nowadays.)</p><p style="text-align: left;">I have listed below the ingredients that I used but suggest you refer to the original recipe which I used as a guide.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6gwEb25lv0bJTUOnRoOv3RAdDrl7GI11Z24Yqd4JuYl4C42fiIThZiozNJSIyY2fZZQ59X2M3J5jsJskQ0BHMw3oGHGWdcLmLOpZ3TXVmo5ryqgq0-UOKqkMJHAdF76rtE4ZLAaJj2yxh_T_DmtqnpVguYpywiGVP2mLZLrTNra-09Fgz7jQcAknFWM/s448/green%20tomato%20chutney.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="448" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6gwEb25lv0bJTUOnRoOv3RAdDrl7GI11Z24Yqd4JuYl4C42fiIThZiozNJSIyY2fZZQ59X2M3J5jsJskQ0BHMw3oGHGWdcLmLOpZ3TXVmo5ryqgq0-UOKqkMJHAdF76rtE4ZLAaJj2yxh_T_DmtqnpVguYpywiGVP2mLZLrTNra-09Fgz7jQcAknFWM/w497-h364/green%20tomato%20chutney.JPG" width="497" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">I remembered from the last time that I made chutney (which was some years ago) the best way to tell if it's thick enough and done. You draw your spoon across the bottom of the pan and if it leaves a clear channel which doesn't immediately fill up with liquid it's ready.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRP13B_y_iVOcpIzxr4A0pSRv5NKRcyoggfmQmxx5REalajQf7cHN8C0Wolosq0Kg3MJElA3R5Vny_4hhPJhE3UN5eOqk3KwgFDFCXA9G4lxCEytzyCTmXVgboCZAIf2R_v44iGOu6k6n23KgOm6C0WoFlczCno8H5EFDdSwIzs8qby2nNXd9Su1XSm8/s448/green%20tomato%20chutney4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="448" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRP13B_y_iVOcpIzxr4A0pSRv5NKRcyoggfmQmxx5REalajQf7cHN8C0Wolosq0Kg3MJElA3R5Vny_4hhPJhE3UN5eOqk3KwgFDFCXA9G4lxCEytzyCTmXVgboCZAIf2R_v44iGOu6k6n23KgOm6C0WoFlczCno8H5EFDdSwIzs8qby2nNXd9Su1XSm8/w476-h315/green%20tomato%20chutney4.JPG" width="476" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;">The quantity of tomatoes I had made 2½ Bonne Maman jars of chutney. Most of the recipes I looked at suggested you should keep it for 2-3 weeks before eating it but of course I had to have a little taste!</p><p style="text-align: left;">It is yummy!! It's nice and chunky, just as I like a chutney, as I'd chopped the ingredients not too small. The flavour is delicious, both sweet and sharp, and I wonder if the particular vinegar I used had something to do with that.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Anyway, I can't see me lasting 2-3 weeks before I open the first jar and it's most unlikely to end up at the back of the cupboard, unloved and still uneaten 2-3 years later! It's a winner!</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></p><p style="text-align: left;">650g green tomatoes, washed and chopped</p><p style="text-align: left;">2 onions, peeled and chopped</p><p style="text-align: left;">2 eating apples, peeled, cored and chopped</p><p style="text-align: left;">200ml brown vinegar</p><p style="text-align: left;">50g sultanas</p><p style="text-align: left;">1 heaped teaspoon wholegrain mustard</p><p style="text-align: left;">1 tsp ground ginger</p><p style="text-align: left;">½ tsp salt</p><p style="text-align: left;">75g light soft brown sugar</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Method</u></b></p><p style="text-align: left;">Put the tomatoes, onions and apples into a large, heavy based saucepan, with half (100ml) of the vinegar.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Bring gently to the boil and simmer for around 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veg are soft.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Add the other ingredients and remaining vinegar and cook again, stirring frequently, until the mixture has thickened. (See text for how to tell when it's ready.)</p><p style="text-align: left;">Spoon into sterilised jars while still warm. Tap the jars on the worktop several times to dispel any air bubbles, seal and label the jars.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Makes 2½ 1lb jars of chutney.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><u>To sterilise the jam jars</u></b></p><p style="text-align: left;">Wash the jars and lids thoroughly in hot, soapy water and rinse well. Shake off any excess water (do not dry with a tea towel) and place on a baking tray.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Place the tray in a warm oven (160°C or thereabouts) for 10 minutes until dry. Fill the jars while they are preferably still warm.</p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-84950179191090971442023-11-14T12:57:00.005+00:002023-11-16T09:07:16.727+00:00APPLE AND RAISIN CAKE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCaxkMaP49yCzB2MgorR5pnDdLNKbYBvAL9Meo8H6R4H7H70PFWpH8Kha4tvuL997JLMKZLE9JJtBcBlMQuhgNIXsq62CbyHFUVuH1N9FhTKztJEXpbkxUTC3ixLEsvmuNg6sD1w3boomx9g85w108zQCzCWO62H-i1AxBh3pWpGqjLYNZe77DbqaIjY/s448/apple%20and%20raisin%20cake2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="448" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCaxkMaP49yCzB2MgorR5pnDdLNKbYBvAL9Meo8H6R4H7H70PFWpH8Kha4tvuL997JLMKZLE9JJtBcBlMQuhgNIXsq62CbyHFUVuH1N9FhTKztJEXpbkxUTC3ixLEsvmuNg6sD1w3boomx9g85w108zQCzCWO62H-i1AxBh3pWpGqjLYNZe77DbqaIjY/w496-h361/apple%20and%20raisin%20cake2.JPG" width="496" /></a></div><p>I recently stumbled across a really nice website containing lots of lovely home baking recipes. It’s for a brand of flour called Odlums which I had never heard of before and comes from Ireland. From it I had bookmarked a nice looking recipe for an apple cake which you can <a href="https://www.odlums.ie/recipes/grannys-apple-cake/" target="_blank">see here.</a> </p><p>This week’s Monday walk was cancelled for the third time due to the wet weather. I have to say that the weather has been grim for at least the last four weeks which is very disappointing. However, our walking group are a social bunch so even if they can’t walk the debriefing in the bar afterwards usually goes ahead! More often than not someone brings a cake so I decided to make the apple cake. (I added a handful of raisins to the list of ingredients, just because it seemed like a nice idea.) </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWl26tHqhyH3pkJAis_nE0spp_9jCuorYfuDbbX3UNB5xkjFo4BENib3sIZ9tP5gha3VFBqNh9SkKDLNap1Ah5v1oweQzqkCsO4Vf71kwZM2cjA2BoEJsNa8wW6rR1ZY4VDZ3-uEDLuLXsidId9vUc7mi6fCQ8HiP7RnzjCR35lIhz0a48YUJHSNsSvIE/s448/apple%20and%20raisin%20cake.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="448" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWl26tHqhyH3pkJAis_nE0spp_9jCuorYfuDbbX3UNB5xkjFo4BENib3sIZ9tP5gha3VFBqNh9SkKDLNap1Ah5v1oweQzqkCsO4Vf71kwZM2cjA2BoEJsNa8wW6rR1ZY4VDZ3-uEDLuLXsidId9vUc7mi6fCQ8HiP7RnzjCR35lIhz0a48YUJHSNsSvIE/w497-h359/apple%20and%20raisin%20cake.JPG" width="497" /></a></p><p>I really liked the decoration for what was a very plain cake - rings of apple arranged on top. This posed a challenge as my usual method for coring an apple wouldn't work. I good old rummage in my kitchen drawer unearthed my little used apple corer.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcc0ZHL2So_oXPUzx0JoJ3asue593eHVtZSqTxw22wBtXfIUqsd-hhYFKCoNNXhhvUXY3a2WhCLzFTtwVQx9BcPkmPSaY8piooobnFXYBL0GUET6foQ1Ga5FMlSQChz45aFYNDAjNJzn2lfGobzd6HXYDs0qareB-gMPoDcsphKuJ8YbkgB7VJbILIMcg/s437/apple%20and%20raisin%20cake3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="437" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcc0ZHL2So_oXPUzx0JoJ3asue593eHVtZSqTxw22wBtXfIUqsd-hhYFKCoNNXhhvUXY3a2WhCLzFTtwVQx9BcPkmPSaY8piooobnFXYBL0GUET6foQ1Ga5FMlSQChz45aFYNDAjNJzn2lfGobzd6HXYDs0qareB-gMPoDcsphKuJ8YbkgB7VJbILIMcg/w437-h336/apple%20and%20raisin%20cake3.JPG" width="437" /></a></p><p>I usually cut the apple in half vertically from north to south and dig out the core with a melon baller. This method is good for producing thick or thin wedges. To get the apple rings I cut the apple in half horizontally around the equator and used the apple corer. I then sliced the apple thinly to get the rings. Easy peasy. You can never beat having the right equipment (even if you have to hunt for it).</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqdSCw_3fSkPmcRPZsW1Ier4cw3IFswtyFhYpPg-b_nlKKoj9xoJepznuMhOxrSjSG6Tb4t4JbQtD9VIYCCX3DQn2MRsABYrn0YikK83ZPWtNc4_zLtCzeH6yyiS5gr-juARUGLkWRP4MxsUNOQn7BP30VVmHFVwEU0v77JePGUa2BONtPN8qae4uYyE/s448/apple%20and%20raisin%20cake4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="448" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqdSCw_3fSkPmcRPZsW1Ier4cw3IFswtyFhYpPg-b_nlKKoj9xoJepznuMhOxrSjSG6Tb4t4JbQtD9VIYCCX3DQn2MRsABYrn0YikK83ZPWtNc4_zLtCzeH6yyiS5gr-juARUGLkWRP4MxsUNOQn7BP30VVmHFVwEU0v77JePGUa2BONtPN8qae4uYyE/w488-h342/apple%20and%20raisin%20cake4.JPG" width="488" /></a></p><p>It was a very nice cake. I often find that apple cakes can be a bit fragile, especially those containing apple slices. They can fall apart which makes being handed round rather messy. This one held its shape perfectly, possibly because the apples were chopped into quite small dice and the mixture was quite stiff. It had to be spread into the tin rather than poured. </p><p>I baked it in an oblong tin measuring 11" x 7" rather than the loaf tin in the recipe. It cut perfectly into 12 squares of just the right size for a group. Definitely a recipe I will be using again. The only change I would try is to add a little more spice next time.</p><p>The more eagle eyed of you might notice a different cat in one of the pictures. We were so sad to have to say goodbye to our beloved Daisy last month when she (and we) lost the battle with her tumour. Yvonne came into our lives just one week later. Her owner had left her with a friend for a couple of weeks in the summer but two months later he made it clear that he was not coming back for her. Word went out among the walking group that a new home was needed so she is now part of our little family. She's nine years old and is settling in really well so far.</p><p>You can read more about Daisy <a href="https://averygrandpressigny.blogspot.com/2023/10/daisys-story.html" target="_blank">here.</a></p><p><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></p><p>225g self raising flour</p><p>175g softened butter or baking spread</p><p>175g golden caster sugar</p><p>3 eggs</p><p>1 tsp ground cinnamon</p><p>3 eating apples</p><p>50g raisins</p><p><b><u>Method</u></b></p><p>Preheat the oven to 190°C / 170° fan / gas mk 5. Grease or line a 2lb loaf tin or a 11" x 7" baking tin with parchment.</p><p>In a large bowl, cream the butter or spread with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a tblsp of flour with each addition.</p><p>Sift in the rest of the flour and cinnamon and fold in.</p><p>Peel and core the apples. Chop 2½ of the apples into small dice and add to the mixture with the raisins. Stir into the mixture and transfer to the tin. Level the top.</p><p>Cut the remaining half apple into thin slices and arrange on top of the cake.</p><p>Bake for 40-50 minutes until golden brown and set. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.</p><p>Dust with icing sugar before serving.</p><p>Cuts into 12 squares or 8-10 slices.</p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-74826766661450516342023-11-02T13:19:00.009+00:002023-11-14T13:13:07.171+00:00A PERFECT LEMON CURD TART<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3vGuHK2ByfXKHaT2myNnridpiV9gHGcv_KwxHw2-hd-UMV3ntj1IjtVwzWFqGXQLjUmGZCk_86UHXdqv_rzrFCePnzeDGxFnSvfvihrc_S7EqSmViAjDBT6gTBlyXZzHANc55BkgmCxcYTgSWHrEVrP6BVDWLq6lhm5EWx1OrTt66gvJSAImzAfWSak/s252/LEMON%20CURD%20TARTa.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="240" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3vGuHK2ByfXKHaT2myNnridpiV9gHGcv_KwxHw2-hd-UMV3ntj1IjtVwzWFqGXQLjUmGZCk_86UHXdqv_rzrFCePnzeDGxFnSvfvihrc_S7EqSmViAjDBT6gTBlyXZzHANc55BkgmCxcYTgSWHrEVrP6BVDWLq6lhm5EWx1OrTt66gvJSAImzAfWSak/w431-h452/LEMON%20CURD%20TARTa.jpeg" width="431" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>My mum used to bake every weekend and her jam or lemon curd tarts were very popular. They were not, however, things of beauty! The jam or lemon curd would always boil over, producing a slightly burnt or chewy edge to the tarts. My dad used to joke that he could only eat one if it had a brown ring round it!</div><div><br /></div><div>I very rarely make them but during the clearing out of the freezer recently I found a pack of ready made, ready rolled sweet pastry at the bottom of a drawer so thought I might like to have a go for old time's sake. My dad died last year and his birthday is just around the corner. It's nearly twenty one years since my mum died and baking something that they both used to enjoy brings back happy memories of life back home when I was a little girl.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbweecJ-ZQjEcwsvUoXxJtfgWGu2VeGTMSZz3p_YA2r4jFeKmMATHRRKtKIPgXm4l6YQYKDZDFGVbSb5IuYlq-CI14XyaI-gxZMBa89pYmE5RflsCEqjvJj8elMnsVo62iQMf9rVJexZNquqTEoKiY5JrUhrYhRr7zaz3CDXWZkyXQittMi_s0nmG0vO8/s265/LEMON%20CURD%20TART2a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="265" data-original-width="240" height="499" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbweecJ-ZQjEcwsvUoXxJtfgWGu2VeGTMSZz3p_YA2r4jFeKmMATHRRKtKIPgXm4l6YQYKDZDFGVbSb5IuYlq-CI14XyaI-gxZMBa89pYmE5RflsCEqjvJj8elMnsVo62iQMf9rVJexZNquqTEoKiY5JrUhrYhRr7zaz3CDXWZkyXQittMi_s0nmG0vO8/w452-h499/LEMON%20CURD%20TART2a.jpeg" width="452" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Then, the other day, I stumbled across a tip for making perfect tarts.</div><div style="text-align: center;">It's not so much a recipe as a guide to how to avoid the brown, chewy rings and it's so simple.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDui8oVkCAsGaXL3d2USRaGjTDYGuIA5bceLEM3xxRGph5nKqbo7QKUUnx_fx6MUuDX803J2j_2To-qEjMlhlGwm8WNQlFVSDOx6I9DFmXtroD9_B1MCpXxRett1bEF6z9YF2hX7S7-lS0QEOHLCJqP-hdYBiVxleaW6oV2NotUjkFIAmzEo4AusERioo/s320/tart%20tin.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="244" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDui8oVkCAsGaXL3d2USRaGjTDYGuIA5bceLEM3xxRGph5nKqbo7QKUUnx_fx6MUuDX803J2j_2To-qEjMlhlGwm8WNQlFVSDOx6I9DFmXtroD9_B1MCpXxRett1bEF6z9YF2hX7S7-lS0QEOHLCJqP-hdYBiVxleaW6oV2NotUjkFIAmzEo4AusERioo/w289-h379/tart%20tin.jpeg" width="289" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">To achieve the perfect tart shell you need two identical tart tins.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;">I used my new mince pie tins. The holes have rounded not flat bottoms.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">All you have to do is to grease one tin as usual and line each hole with a circle of pastry. Then grease the underside of the other tin and place it on top of the first with the uncooked tarts. Don't press it down, just sit it on the top. It's effectively a way of blind baking the pastry without having to faff about with paper and beans.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Bake at 200° C / 180° fan / gas mk 5 for about 11-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and take off the top tin. Return to the oven for a 3-4 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You then have a dozen perfect shells which you can fill with lemon curd, spooning it straight from the jar. If you want to have a jam tart you will need to heat the jam gently in a small pan before spooning it into the tart shell to get a smooth finish.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCorGNi0YRZ9_UUxWBx8Wf-QxdjjDJGJNFG2WduT4ja35u6iOf3oHElyu6J_ZbUbl8ZYOas36b4Bp9Fgp6GnNLP3S-OSiSlexJFDvEpakxnbsnLDibm5hfWfDK6AYIgZ87vWJH69Q7Aa3FVSQCA0CVJGYTeUBJW5VtM1Ow56_8ofxZ1HUdrakPixmIqg/s320/LEMON%20CURD%20TART3a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="320" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCorGNi0YRZ9_UUxWBx8Wf-QxdjjDJGJNFG2WduT4ja35u6iOf3oHElyu6J_ZbUbl8ZYOas36b4Bp9Fgp6GnNLP3S-OSiSlexJFDvEpakxnbsnLDibm5hfWfDK6AYIgZ87vWJH69Q7Aa3FVSQCA0CVJGYTeUBJW5VtM1Ow56_8ofxZ1HUdrakPixmIqg/w515-h367/LEMON%20CURD%20TART3a.jpeg" width="515" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I stored my tart shells in a sealed plastic box and they were still perfectly crisp and delicious several days later, which meant that I could simply have one lemon curd tart as and when I fancied one, AND there was no problem storing them - no sticking of the filled tarts together. (Although I have to say that getting two tarts stuck together in the cake tin was definitely a bonus when I was a little girl!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My next experiment will be to make mini tart shells using two mini muffin tins. Mini tart shells, sweet or savoury, are excellent for making party nibbles. I have yet to discover whether this method will work as the holes are relatively deep. I'm hoping it works as they are such a price to buy in the shops and the incredibly long use by date makes me wonder what they put in them to achieve that.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I shall give it a try and report back!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The tip comes originally from Nancy Birtwhistle, a previous GBBO winner who has produced an enormous amount of material showing how you can save money, save the planet and live better. She has also written several books on these subjects.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21CCaMcpgKHVK4E8Z0lgVw6N3Hi57Ys3peXlyCDD7LR5PaR4um0jkiWGoXN__v1nxIUNSM5_VdEUxTv-JPaNc6_yvsv3ZhZ3qRnTC7ZWBZvyAh-Dwfit4PJTffPrkNEpVA03JOT64-HBsxNYoOEQ-yAnnwS7XnKMin4oe6Ke5h-OowH4JJIvtGe2vYRM/s448/mini%20tart%20shells.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="321" data-original-width="448" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21CCaMcpgKHVK4E8Z0lgVw6N3Hi57Ys3peXlyCDD7LR5PaR4um0jkiWGoXN__v1nxIUNSM5_VdEUxTv-JPaNc6_yvsv3ZhZ3qRnTC7ZWBZvyAh-Dwfit4PJTffPrkNEpVA03JOT64-HBsxNYoOEQ-yAnnwS7XnKMin4oe6Ke5h-OowH4JJIvtGe2vYRM/w429-h307/mini%20tart%20shells.JPG" width="429" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX3y_vWRUgqlfoBrmttnwxd26t6a51ZLmy8uNyF5I-PGc84JVQlgvqLDonhstsJhJJSuA_jLGAZ3seoyzd6S-thf3Q2pKZSbWjC7dZsrSLMkLFRM1aQ1BUvXZUoZ8tWlEmhyphenhyphen5ZfPjeQe2Ny-TrB1CDqGDfmxVPXd-flxhm_s3lvNCrTWvTy85hJQqM0oY/s448/mini%20tart%20shells2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="448" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX3y_vWRUgqlfoBrmttnwxd26t6a51ZLmy8uNyF5I-PGc84JVQlgvqLDonhstsJhJJSuA_jLGAZ3seoyzd6S-thf3Q2pKZSbWjC7dZsrSLMkLFRM1aQ1BUvXZUoZ8tWlEmhyphenhyphen5ZfPjeQe2Ny-TrB1CDqGDfmxVPXd-flxhm_s3lvNCrTWvTy85hJQqM0oY/w438-h313/mini%20tart%20shells2.JPG" width="438" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The method worked perfectly when I tried it using a mini muffin tin. I used my Pampered Chef tins as the holes have slightly more sloping sides and they also came with a little "dibber" to push the pastry neatly into the holes. I used a 2" pastry cutter and baked them for 11 minutes before removing the top tin plus 2 minutes more. Success!!</div></div><p></p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-4434617785830109302023-10-31T22:15:00.003+00:002023-11-01T08:00:50.086+00:00CHOCOLATE AND BANANA CAKE (with walnuts)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZdXrYASV0jVHYczkF0Q0yL1lsCN2AgjuxTqfFbpe1NFUR7dnfZkKJir8VHoOPGPr7Ku_LXxy63tUmcrfLVAYd-qni7biDOaWIv_GV4oKRJi0VjQfGmmZr-swasczSgljGgpKOZst1WatE5bCKxW8KXKqL5Vwy_uN577bXBuyyYDIzG7EJ6zp6a3a3dE0/s448/chocolate%20and%20banana%20cake2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="448" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZdXrYASV0jVHYczkF0Q0yL1lsCN2AgjuxTqfFbpe1NFUR7dnfZkKJir8VHoOPGPr7Ku_LXxy63tUmcrfLVAYd-qni7biDOaWIv_GV4oKRJi0VjQfGmmZr-swasczSgljGgpKOZst1WatE5bCKxW8KXKqL5Vwy_uN577bXBuyyYDIzG7EJ6zp6a3a3dE0/w497-h346/chocolate%20and%20banana%20cake2.JPG" width="497" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It was the usual story. Three bananas in the fruit bowl, past their best and whispering "cake, cake" every time I passed by.</div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_O9qveIB1Je399RdmHEBnaPModOA5hkW2slw6GoZdODohbbjXDewg4MaCd6zT65hOLjSMvSGehSrBCvAeJ4U7Ot0Z_FTEFkM4OID3BAWd263v6YDG6OM-UjQgC1jU9Kzf0KXTAMDrUPpRxpjJfOoQEYFlwTnDHLTWUH7NB0_Qefi6FpV0dKF7TqXMuw/s383/chocolate%20and%20banana%20cake.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="383" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_O9qveIB1Je399RdmHEBnaPModOA5hkW2slw6GoZdODohbbjXDewg4MaCd6zT65hOLjSMvSGehSrBCvAeJ4U7Ot0Z_FTEFkM4OID3BAWd263v6YDG6OM-UjQgC1jU9Kzf0KXTAMDrUPpRxpjJfOoQEYFlwTnDHLTWUH7NB0_Qefi6FpV0dKF7TqXMuw/w419-h368/chocolate%20and%20banana%20cake.JPG" width="419" /></a></p><p>I fancied making a banana cake that I hadn't made before and the recipe comes from a little book called "Cakes and Slices". It's one of those compilation cook books where no one person lays claim to the recipes. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Qn1z3BzSd5WJIQxlJmRCeSk6usqm_ZaPdlhi-grKHDWpFX0yMwkavBJk6DBwGfM5rEEZ2mQ8y2OB_G2wdY3bRTecAtLTC1TP9EsR3bPARULvXz68WSkyJiiEP06J6OQvMwk3KpOmdvROQq_keK8ZP34ZpFegmMQA2AruWJ7A3ViFh_xxbtgWNYEe2tg/s448/chocolate%20and%20banana%20cake3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="448" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Qn1z3BzSd5WJIQxlJmRCeSk6usqm_ZaPdlhi-grKHDWpFX0yMwkavBJk6DBwGfM5rEEZ2mQ8y2OB_G2wdY3bRTecAtLTC1TP9EsR3bPARULvXz68WSkyJiiEP06J6OQvMwk3KpOmdvROQq_keK8ZP34ZpFegmMQA2AruWJ7A3ViFh_xxbtgWNYEe2tg/w495-h322/chocolate%20and%20banana%20cake3.JPG" width="495" /></a></p><p>The cake was a bit of an ugly duckling (very craggy) but very easy and quick to make, and yummy all the same! I took it to our walking group for the "debriefing" so was able to see how it cut and to taste a slice. It was very good and I made a second one for a cake stall at a local event where it sold well.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvwCmOBihzHea4YkRaxlgwlnyDM_RxAzQeesCBG9z-PK5t49eId9yLvRVOjVk_wklO5MrIJlfxdn8jPHCfSWJjpQ5-vnn0hkyvijMJ1sYoIU5KmQvUaKuDJ9pcYwXlwChM6aZ1vwnloC2fFiZFdP6IhxwakOIsoVnWSjKDchTKJgp836OoPI-omafF6Q/s448/chocolate%20and%20banana%20cake4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="448" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvwCmOBihzHea4YkRaxlgwlnyDM_RxAzQeesCBG9z-PK5t49eId9yLvRVOjVk_wklO5MrIJlfxdn8jPHCfSWJjpQ5-vnn0hkyvijMJ1sYoIU5KmQvUaKuDJ9pcYwXlwChM6aZ1vwnloC2fFiZFdP6IhxwakOIsoVnWSjKDchTKJgp836OoPI-omafF6Q/w492-h297/chocolate%20and%20banana%20cake4.JPG" width="492" /></a></p><p>Although it was in principle very easy, I've given it two stars in the faff factor as I find chopping chocolate and walnuts rather tedious!</p><p><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></p><p>3 ripe bananas, mashed</p><p>170g caster sugar</p><p>185g self raising flour</p><p>2 eggs</p><p>3 tblsp light olive oil or sunflower oil (I used groundnut oil)</p><p>3 tblsp milk</p><p>100g dark chocolate, finely chopped </p><p>90g walnuts, chopped</p><p><b><u>Method</u></b></p><p>Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160° fan / gas mk 4. Butter and line a 2lb loaf tin or use a paper liner. A 20cm round tin would also work.</p><p>In a large bowl, mix together the banana and sugar. Sift the flour into the bowl. Add the eggs, oil and milk and mix well together. Stir in the chocolate and walnuts.</p><p>Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 50-60 minutes.</p><p>Cool in the tin for five minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.</p><p>Cuts into 8-10 slices.</p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-6507586209074422292023-10-31T10:10:00.002+00:002023-10-31T10:15:44.858+00:00APPLE TURNOVERS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrpHgZDnwuQviXeaKb-NyNcDCMNGwIpYhBi33reKMPEAbZewEdwIaRWt01BxbZrA3Dg5SLBR0V4GdC8rD7zBVqbCAlHOibOvgFhm_X9puBA9jMnH7Kq5_v2nbGdZSNp2L0w0VNrkCMVy-HDO98Bupu1Ff8LzA8Ua-3aisKAB7CE7KJrbFa0pallIKKOSI/s448/apple%20turnovers.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="448" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrpHgZDnwuQviXeaKb-NyNcDCMNGwIpYhBi33reKMPEAbZewEdwIaRWt01BxbZrA3Dg5SLBR0V4GdC8rD7zBVqbCAlHOibOvgFhm_X9puBA9jMnH7Kq5_v2nbGdZSNp2L0w0VNrkCMVy-HDO98Bupu1Ff8LzA8Ua-3aisKAB7CE7KJrbFa0pallIKKOSI/w502-h357/apple%20turnovers.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Some time ago I made some raspberry turnovers which were delicious (you can see the post <a href="https://bakinginfranglais.blogspot.com/2020/07/raspberry-turnovers.html" target="_blank">here</a>). In fact I made them several times, taking them to various events where they always went down well.</div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikR2lrmNwZU8R3gGQsTjF_z8QryqgG-KVXB6Qb3sjxJme7MmVFVieBVo4jJHMqB0IsvvROyXVsxI8vFJKu3BIBZeKpzZeqWE08q-7MTo5Iuq9Z9Ih-sBBwPCG0wvqxxaRL-_oxafh8qtd85d774OAdVSLnJrfwFuYnmaTKiB0bnqngJmhf6KA5BjtE-q4/s448/apple%20turnovers2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="448" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikR2lrmNwZU8R3gGQsTjF_z8QryqgG-KVXB6Qb3sjxJme7MmVFVieBVo4jJHMqB0IsvvROyXVsxI8vFJKu3BIBZeKpzZeqWE08q-7MTo5Iuq9Z9Ih-sBBwPCG0wvqxxaRL-_oxafh8qtd85d774OAdVSLnJrfwFuYnmaTKiB0bnqngJmhf6KA5BjtE-q4/w494-h352/apple%20turnovers2.JPG" width="494" /></a></p><p>With a pack of puff pastry lurking in the freezer I had a yen for making them again, looked up my post about them and referred back to the original source; a blog which you can see<a href="https://chichichoc.blogspot.com/2020/06/feuilletes-la-framboise-recette-facile.html" target="_blank"> here</a>. There I found a really good idea in the comments for making them using apple compote and apple slices. "Now there's a thing" I thought and, rather than go out and buy some raspberries, I decided to give it a try. We always have apple compote in the house as we have it most days on our cereal or porridge.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8pzCnevNps2UwWlp7Z8FeIvlxtBwgPbtrwlqZ8TzjjFN9gksN08TwkfpCkq64qwh2LZ6RqnB3MUBnYnvbmNp-hl9t3TKpKudJvlfvyTIPAAo46f1ypXK3qa73x4BUFvNZ9XpkJ9zvd4hnebK2OP40Irb-l_uXzs3q8bPSZAH9OY_U9PUxva7XDaQLyk/s448/apple%20turnovers4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="448" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8pzCnevNps2UwWlp7Z8FeIvlxtBwgPbtrwlqZ8TzjjFN9gksN08TwkfpCkq64qwh2LZ6RqnB3MUBnYnvbmNp-hl9t3TKpKudJvlfvyTIPAAo46f1ypXK3qa73x4BUFvNZ9XpkJ9zvd4hnebK2OP40Irb-l_uXzs3q8bPSZAH9OY_U9PUxva7XDaQLyk/w486-h325/apple%20turnovers4.JPG" width="486" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCmYWS73vLM066l-31j5Jvd8SmgaBzZ0TMmd6B4pUrR4o1pr-o0FTlLRzNU2dmx8YHEAWkDdPPS4mUUnnQ6-HrX6FYh5BUb1CNrvNfmqegWQSIhyphenhyphenWPi-8Y91o7u4G3hDAeKhWj2z6LyV4yTANJ5sCsA9LkYLl5l7eA9XzRcIP-KsmSu5Ol8oY38IYLcY/s448/apple%20turnovers5.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="448" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCmYWS73vLM066l-31j5Jvd8SmgaBzZ0TMmd6B4pUrR4o1pr-o0FTlLRzNU2dmx8YHEAWkDdPPS4mUUnnQ6-HrX6FYh5BUb1CNrvNfmqegWQSIhyphenhyphenWPi-8Y91o7u4G3hDAeKhWj2z6LyV4yTANJ5sCsA9LkYLl5l7eA9XzRcIP-KsmSu5Ol8oY38IYLcY/w490-h352/apple%20turnovers5.JPG" width="490" /></a></p><p>At first I put two wedges of apple onto each square of pastry but soon realised that there was too much filling so removed one wedge from them all. By the time I had done this the compote was already spreading and every one frankly looked a soggy mess. Thinking this experiment was not going well and the turnovers were likely to turn out like a dog's dinner I put them in the fridge to chill and firm up a bit in the hope that they might be rescued.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIZUEF9mmp2Vga1WT8p5qxE-D85Ru7CcYXlp7DDg4fOWyN18zSIHAZCu2QyITajKU1xGRPAEGIVtcLY_WALmE9nEmTHCzKuzPfJniiWMe8pXlcoOXwCfWqNdHNyGYQIspuE2mBYwC4skmCuqUrS_SClcNGCgDBgD8JeTgUsHxAfcIxdbM-dePPWZEiNQ/s448/apple%20turnovers7.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="448" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIZUEF9mmp2Vga1WT8p5qxE-D85Ru7CcYXlp7DDg4fOWyN18zSIHAZCu2QyITajKU1xGRPAEGIVtcLY_WALmE9nEmTHCzKuzPfJniiWMe8pXlcoOXwCfWqNdHNyGYQIspuE2mBYwC4skmCuqUrS_SClcNGCgDBgD8JeTgUsHxAfcIxdbM-dePPWZEiNQ/w483-h331/apple%20turnovers7.JPG" width="483" /></a></p><p>They turned out fine, much better than expected, and definitely worth baking again. Leftovers had lost a bit of their crispness by the next day but were still delicious.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTFwoHmAR1X2AmGoj21EnXHlSGw9qaS0i3etEcNAPxD8b3hgGmByrF7CZxpvOqRvtTjA7yhyYbGmJDrVL7LimBSSYbkROcoXDuPCwhy0W8cd3W-BvincOuw4d2GrtJ8FnPNxS1tKLxp8jWuZLHv2eTTIYlEnqXCWtJ9mFiUi82gqivI2PyYdng4loWcw/s448/apple%20turnovers3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="448" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTFwoHmAR1X2AmGoj21EnXHlSGw9qaS0i3etEcNAPxD8b3hgGmByrF7CZxpvOqRvtTjA7yhyYbGmJDrVL7LimBSSYbkROcoXDuPCwhy0W8cd3W-BvincOuw4d2GrtJ8FnPNxS1tKLxp8jWuZLHv2eTTIYlEnqXCWtJ9mFiUi82gqivI2PyYdng4loWcw/w487-h347/apple%20turnovers3.JPG" width="487" /></a></p><p><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;">1 pack of ready made, ready rolled puff pastry</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); text-size-adjust: auto;">12 tsp apple compote</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); text-size-adjust: auto;">1 - 2 small eating apples, peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;">milk and demerara sugar to finish</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;">icing sugar to decorate (optional)</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><strong style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><u>Method</u></strong><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;">Take the pastry out of the fridge and allow to come to room temperature well before using, at least half an hour. Pastry that is still chilled will crack when you unroll it.</span></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;">Line a baking sheet with baking paper.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;">Unroll the pastry and cut in half along its length. Cut each half into squares of equal size. (The number of squares will be determined by the dimensions of your sheet of pastry as it’s important that the squares are exactly square and not oblong.)</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;">Put a teaspoon of compote and one wedge of apple on a square, slightly off centre. Dampen the edges of the square and fold it diagonally over the filling to form a triangle. Press the edges together then seal by pressing a fork into the pastry along the edge. Repeat with the rest of the squares and make three small slashes in the top of each triangle. </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;">Brush each puff with milk and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Arrange the puffs on the baking sheet with a little room between each for spreading and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.</span></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;">Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180° fan while the puffs are chilling. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. The compote will leak out a bit but this adds to the charm of the puffs!</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;">Serve as they are, slightly warm or cold, or dusted with icing sugar or decorated with a zig zag of icing made with lemon juice and icing sugar if you like.</span></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;">Makes approximately 12 turnovers, depending on the dimensions of your pastry sheet.</span></p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-44691486192964911132023-09-11T10:08:00.005+01:002023-09-12T08:40:45.694+01:00ROASTED TOMATO SOUP (soup maker recipe) and another note to self.<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZUCX434jWoLc9Ec7fD5VR_g1SQ1m1gmjvRj_Y-dfI_lHbuYs9GpJViWyIK_CtegjLFRitd0LCHQ0QTnLg7xHrd2DMKjTqyOq2Q588ZBixetNpJfit9uFwASRmh__6XhZVCCrTJwwh6-J7y4xiqE7Q_VYJrZsSk5USB9ktFSYHwQsbXOkUU4VrqWoW-M/s4000/P1050998.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZUCX434jWoLc9Ec7fD5VR_g1SQ1m1gmjvRj_Y-dfI_lHbuYs9GpJViWyIK_CtegjLFRitd0LCHQ0QTnLg7xHrd2DMKjTqyOq2Q588ZBixetNpJfit9uFwASRmh__6XhZVCCrTJwwh6-J7y4xiqE7Q_VYJrZsSk5USB9ktFSYHwQsbXOkUU4VrqWoW-M/w505-h379/P1050998.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Having got my copy of "Masterchef Kitchen Bible" off the shelf to look for the tiramisu recipe, I flipped through the pages and turned up quite a few recipes that I wanted to try. One of which was for this soup. I adapted it for what I had in stock and for the soup maker.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75FbNfZOO8lz4o9mO90TwUlAXvscAkBK_dXOraYQk1l1WJK0Q2UjeK5iN8OiqrElQoVUEf8Dr0oETVnzYpTFAOmLYIJTZwnMiaVDDfdJRcckWvv9LHa-gB26Lv4dgVcGT8TC4FZ0LShq7R_jxDjA-UOrzMhlNPXSnFFUOVpgggigA9XOKO75K_xUlJpA/s4000/P1050997.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75FbNfZOO8lz4o9mO90TwUlAXvscAkBK_dXOraYQk1l1WJK0Q2UjeK5iN8OiqrElQoVUEf8Dr0oETVnzYpTFAOmLYIJTZwnMiaVDDfdJRcckWvv9LHa-gB26Lv4dgVcGT8TC4FZ0LShq7R_jxDjA-UOrzMhlNPXSnFFUOVpgggigA9XOKO75K_xUlJpA/w485-h364/P1050997.JPG" width="485" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Our tomato plants are still going strong and this recipe uses quite a few of them.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Essentially, you roast fresh tomatoes with onion and garlic and turn it into soup. I had taken a few pictures of the tray of roasted tomatoes but when I came to review them I found that the SD card was not in the camera! I had left it in the slot in the laptop and lost quite a few pictures as a result. The camera does not have a hard memory of its own so they're gone for good. Oh well, it will teach me to check before I use it next time!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This is an utterly delicious soup. Like Heinz tomato soup but even better! Not the quickest to make due to roasting the veg before putting them in the soup maker, but worth it. (I put mine in the oven to roast while something else was cooking so it wasn't too much trouble.) It would probably work just as well with shop bought tomatoes as roasting does bring out the flavour of most things that are a bit feeble in that department. Using my home grown tomatoes I omitted the tomato paste but if using shop bought ones I would probably add it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Note to self: check for the SD card before next using the camera!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-GAJxiEs5FxLmwjWitpkjqpK7_lqFkrh_TbtKZFVUKfayEHoZH-tE3esqKgTvflcVcDMfQAaKExyvQWJ2KnLxIYKM0TQPzr7DO21kIBF5hlwYSZawykZd51tmPKH42weYeIDz5X0IPr87dQBlHW-8I3B3jvx5Xlj_kloH3KAtZGjOjAmqk2K2hnYgH9g/s525/IMG_4060.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="394" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-GAJxiEs5FxLmwjWitpkjqpK7_lqFkrh_TbtKZFVUKfayEHoZH-tE3esqKgTvflcVcDMfQAaKExyvQWJ2KnLxIYKM0TQPzr7DO21kIBF5hlwYSZawykZd51tmPKH42weYeIDz5X0IPr87dQBlHW-8I3B3jvx5Xlj_kloH3KAtZGjOjAmqk2K2hnYgH9g/w341-h454/IMG_4060.jpeg" width="341" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">For Diane! A picture of my soup maker (next to the kettle).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">6-8 large tomatoes, or a combination of any kind of tomato amounting to about 700g</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">1 large onion</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">2 cloves of garlic (unpeeled)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">2-3 tblsp olive oil (or Fry Light)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">home made vegetable or chicken stock plus one stock pot or cube (or use two stock pots or cubes)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">3 small potatoes, peeled and quartered</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tblsp tomato paste (optional)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Method</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Preheat the oven to 180C / 160 fan / gas mk 4.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Cut the larger tomatoes into quarters, smaller ones in half and lay on a large baking tray. Drizzle with the oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for 10 minutes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Peel the onion and cut into quarters. Add to the tomatoes with the unpeeled garlic and continue to roast for another 15 minutes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add the tomatoes, onion, carrot and potatoes to the soup maker, Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins and add to the machine. (Make sure not to go above the bottom line when adding the carrot and potatoes but use all of the tomatoes and onion.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add the stock and stock pot/cube plus enough water to fill to the top line.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Cook on smooth.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Makes 4 generous portions.</div><p></p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896642794207631523.post-60931876933040996142023-08-27T09:23:00.006+01:002023-09-02T11:16:54.203+01:00TIRAMISU egg free version and a note to self<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheCkUmxfc98QbfQYVz3jqme0UE9XZRi5zSrmxtMUddw0xqBmfDP7MK33N9NNgQaLiOav3tC9M5xHDGUw7OhL4BJ5D4FlEMNtXIdVzI-ffPBaGV9kB1FWP7btnlMWtIfllqt49kSV2OXDskH5GsyogIBEX2uEjAj2Bto3PTFIqXGrBxwUFEsAQ8RbvY74g/s4000/tiramisu2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2616" data-original-width="4000" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheCkUmxfc98QbfQYVz3jqme0UE9XZRi5zSrmxtMUddw0xqBmfDP7MK33N9NNgQaLiOav3tC9M5xHDGUw7OhL4BJ5D4FlEMNtXIdVzI-ffPBaGV9kB1FWP7btnlMWtIfllqt49kSV2OXDskH5GsyogIBEX2uEjAj2Bto3PTFIqXGrBxwUFEsAQ8RbvY74g/w496-h324/tiramisu2.JPG" width="496" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">Some years ago I posted about a Rachel Allen recipe for a strawberry tiramisu <a href="http://bakinginfranglais.blogspot.com/2011/04/italian-twist.html" target="_blank">(see here)</a> and some time after that a reader left a scathing comment about it. Apparently this person got as far as assembling the dish before they realised it contained raw egg yolks, was disgusted that they hadn’t been warned about that, and had to throw all the ingredients in the bin! (The word used was "trash" so I presume the reader was from the other side of the Atlantic somewhere.)</p><p>I remember thinking it weird that someone would (a) not read a recipe through before starting to cook it and therefore not realise the eggs were raw and would (b) throw expensive ingredients away without thinking of a different way of using them. However, I did afterwards label all recipes that contain raw eggs although there are only a few!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2BTlE1btZ2PMToXBF26FtJ8x1u88xNhVYycHuDVd1TzCSMCGLEnnj4f6b3kxGAspYUFivzVE_hn-8oyj0CD4Kg9aTof4HKJ15RR_9L0t8RWC7yjGf58NJcA0lDEafZy8G6di673mH6q5XqUDZWRSqYqcTvqiV52i17zvTh3paJ0hXL0xe6nQsnQAoZ4/s4000/tiramisu.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2800" data-original-width="4000" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2BTlE1btZ2PMToXBF26FtJ8x1u88xNhVYycHuDVd1TzCSMCGLEnnj4f6b3kxGAspYUFivzVE_hn-8oyj0CD4Kg9aTof4HKJ15RR_9L0t8RWC7yjGf58NJcA0lDEafZy8G6di673mH6q5XqUDZWRSqYqcTvqiV52i17zvTh3paJ0hXL0xe6nQsnQAoZ4/w480-h336/tiramisu.JPG" width="480" /></a></p><p>Anyway, the other week a friend served us a delicious tiramisu made without any eggs at all. The recipe was, she said, a John Torode recipe. I eventually found it in one of my cook books, "Masterchef kitchen bible" and made it myself for visitors the other day. She said it was a quick and easy tiramisu and it is definitely both of those as well as utterly divine! </p><p>It differs quite a bit from my previous tiramisu recipe, apart from there being no eggs in it. The alcohol used is coffee liqueur not Amaretto and there is no sprinkling of cocoa powder on the layers other than on the top. Which just goes to show that, just like a fruit trifle, there are lots of different ways of making it and they are all delicious!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSZH1R1jl-DWLlIWLiBdOHLnkKFNUbX6b1key5UmB0kkoebxBgp_x6cKlyHtZfSb4a8V5g8kfrLgHNstPmy0li3xNRlvR-TKwOH6RKntvwX_8KyDcA09xV17DZCSMVhnl-gDbkKS54lXoAkANU3YBnX828Wg9A1YkHG7vEZ_B8Otsjp_axEZknUiD_gg/s4000/tiramisu3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2782" data-original-width="4000" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSZH1R1jl-DWLlIWLiBdOHLnkKFNUbX6b1key5UmB0kkoebxBgp_x6cKlyHtZfSb4a8V5g8kfrLgHNstPmy0li3xNRlvR-TKwOH6RKntvwX_8KyDcA09xV17DZCSMVhnl-gDbkKS54lXoAkANU3YBnX828Wg9A1YkHG7vEZ_B8Otsjp_axEZknUiD_gg/w478-h333/tiramisu3.JPG" width="478" /></a></p><p>I modified the recipe a bit to account for the fact that a pot of mascarpone generally contains 250g, not the 350g in the original and I didn't want to have to buy two pots (the supermarket only had one pot on the shelf and supermarkets are a good distance apart here in rural France!). I also found that my 20cm square Pyrex dish was perfect for it, creating the right depth of layers, but I did have to use more sponge fingers than stated due to its dimensions. Happily there was still just the right amount of coffee liquid mixture to soak all of them. The end result was a slightly denser, more cakey texture. It wasn’t quite the same as my previous recipe <a href="http://bakinginfranglais.blogspot.com/2018/12/tiramisu.html" target="_blank">(see here)</a> being more creamy but somehow less rich but it was lovely. As always it was even better the next day once the ingredients and flavours had melled together. Note to self: always make tiramisu the day before you want to serve it!</p><p><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></p><p>120ml espresso coffee, cooled</p><p>75ml coffee flavoured liqueur such as Kahlua</p><p>250g pot mascarpone cheese</p><p>3 tblsp caster sugar</p><p>250ml double cream</p><p>14-20 sponge fingers (Boudoir biscuits) depending on the dimensions of your dish</p><p>cocoa powder to decorate</p><p>coarsely grated dark chocolate (optional)</p><p><b><u>Method</u></b></p><p>Mix the coffee and liqueur together and pour into a large flat dish such as a lasagne dish so that it's in a shallow layer.</p><p>In a large bowl whip the mascarpone and sugar together until the sugar has dissolved.</p><p>In another bowl whisk the cream until it holds its shape then fold into the mascarpone mixture. Spread 2 tblsp of this mixture into the bottom of your serving dish.</p><p>Dip the sponge fingers one at a time into the coffee mixture, turning once until just soaked both sides, and arrange in a single layer in a serving dish. A 20 cm square dish worked perfectly for me.</p><p>Cover the fingers with half of the mascarpone mixture then repeat with more sponge fingers and the remaining half of the mixture.</p><p>Level the top, cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.</p><p>Dust liberally with cocoa powder just before serving. Add a sprinkling of grated chocolate if you like.</p><p>Serves 6-8, depending on the portion size!</p>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.com11