Banana Bundt Cake with Rum Icing

This is the best banana cake I've ever made. It's seriously moist and delicious and will be making its way into my repertoire for whenever I have some over ripe bananas to use up. It's easy to make and looks stunning with very little effort. This is definitely my favourite of the two bundts I made this weekend.

The banana flavour is very pronounced (I did use 4 of them!) and, when combined with the sour cream, the cake becomes tender and moist with a soft crumb. I found the original recipe here on Cooks.com but as with the last recipe, there were some problems. The method neglects to mention some of the listed ingredients which is kind of unhelpful! Thankfully, I know how to make a cake and could work out what I needed to do.

I've typed the recipe here as I made it and have converted to metric as usual. I really recommend this cake even if you don't have a bundt pan, I think it would work well in a few loaf tins or maybe even a big batch of cupcakes! The rum icing was amazing. It was the perfect accompaniment to this cake and was so easy to make too.

Ingredients
115g butter
340g sugar
3 or 4 over ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs
220g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
120ml (a small pot) sour cream
For the icing
300g icing sugar
2-3 tbsp hot water
3 tsp rum (to taste)

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C and grease an 8 cup bundt pan.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
Add the eggs and bananas and mix well.
Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and fold in. Finally, stir through the sour cream.
Pur the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning the cake onto a wire rack to cool.
For the icing, combine the sugar, rum and water into a large bowl and blend until it's spreadable. Pour over the top of the cake and allow it to drip down the sides.

Read more...

Candied Pomelo Peel

I may have mentioned before how much I love citrus. I just love how the tart, sharp flavours work so well in desserts and sweets, they combine perfectly with a little sugar to make a fresh, flavourful treat in almost any form!

Anyway, when I was shopping one day I spied a honey pomelo lurking amongst the fresh fruit. It was a weird looking beast, like a large grapefruit but in the shape of a pear. It has a greeny-yellow skin and no strong scent from the outside. I just had to buy one!

After doing some research, I found mixed reviews and decided to just go ahead and get on with it! There's a lot of white pith inside and the actual fruit part is probably the size of a large grapefruit. the flesh is a pale yellow and quite dry to the touch (unlike an orange for example). The flavour is delicate with a sharpness akin to grapefruit but with a subtle sweetness too. It's really hard to explain but the lot was gone within an hour or so... Every time I (or my mum) walked past the bowl in the kitchen, another piece was devoured.

It was quite laborious preparing the fruit. The pith has to come off and the membrane between segments is tough and dry so that has to come off too. But, as a huge pomegranate fan; I'm okay with labour intensive foods. I wouldn't buy one very often (I've only bought 2 ever) but they're nice for a change.
In order to get the most out of the £1.49 I paid (another reason why I wouldn't splurge too often) I looked into the process of candying the peel. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be and yielded really delicious results.

You start by cutting the peel into strips about a centimetre wide, you can keep them fairly long but basically, they need to fit in the saucepan and they need to be a size that you'd want to serve.

Next you need to blanch the peel to rid it of some of its bitterness. Bring a pan of water to the boil, plunge the peel in for a minute and then take them out. Repeat this twice more with fresh water each time.

Next, heat equal quantities of water and sugar (a cup of each) in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Place the peel into the syrup and turn the heat down until the syrup is at a simmer and leave to candy for around about an hour. Keep checking on the syrup to make sure it doesn't boil away completely and allow the peels to burn.

Once the syrup has been absorbed into the peel, remove from the heat and spread the peel on a wire rack to cool. Once cool, stuff them into your face quickly and eat them. They are delicious.

You can also take this a step further and cover the candied peel in chocolate. I cannot be held responsible for the effects these gorgeous little treats may have on you... They are amazing.

Read more...

Damson Linzer Biscuits

I really wanted to start this post with some fascinating information about Linzer biscuits... Unfortunately, I don't have any. I've done a bit of Googling and have found very little in the way of history or origin. I apologise.

I do not however feel sorry for making these beauties. They are delicious! The eye catching "window" on the top biscuit (somewhat reminiscent of a very popular mass produced treat) lends itself well to the holiday season as any small, festive cutter can be used to create it. The jam (or in this case jelly) shines through like a jewel and the crumbly, slightly spiced biscuit pairs with this beautifully.

The dough for this recipe can be made several days ahead and kept in the fridge or freezer. It is easy to make and work with if chilled before attempting to roll. Next time I might dust the top biscuits with icing sugar before sandwiching with the bottom but this is purely an aesthetic thing. I chose to use our homemade damson jelly to sandwich between the layers. Raspberry jam is more traditional but I wanted something smooth and dark. The damson flavour worked well as it was not too sweet.
I used this recipe from Joy of Baking and must say that it worked really well. I made some alterations and will add them in. This is largely the original recipe but I'll reproduce it with the metric measures for ease.

Ingredients
110g ground almonds
280g plain flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
227g butter at room temperature
135g granulated white sugar (divided)
1 tsp vanilla
2 large egg yolks
Zest of 1 lemon
Icing sugar (for dusting)
120g damson jelly (heated with the water until smooth and runny)
1-2 tbsp water

Method
Mix the ground almonds with 50g of the sugar and set aside.
In another bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon and salt and set aside.
In the bowl of a mixer (you can use a hand mixer) bream the butter and the remaining sugar together until fluffy.
Add the vanilla, egg yolks and lemon zest and beat until combined. Add the ground nut mixture and beat again.
Add the flur mixture and beat until just combined. Divide the dough into two and wrap with cling film. Chill in the fridge until firm.
Preheat the oven to 180C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Take one of the pieces of dough from the fridge and roll on a floured surface until just under 1cm thick (the original recipe says 1cm but I think that's too thick personally).
Using a round, fluted cutter, cut an even number of disks from the dough rerolling as necessary. Using a smaller cutter (I used a star) cut holes in the centre of half the disks.
Transfer the rounds to the baking sheet spaced about an inch apart and bake for 12-14 minutes or until very lightly golden brown.
Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack completely before sandwiching a plain and a holed biscuit with the warm jelly.
Dust with icing sugar (I would consider doing this with the holed side before sandwiching together).

Read more...

Lemon Cheesecake Cupcakes

As you may be aware I was responsible for making some gorgeous cupcakes for my brother's birthday last weekend. I was really unsure which flavours to go for so I had a bit of a think and decided I needed a chocolate, a fruit and something else.

The fruit came in the form of lemon. I really like lemon in desserts. The sharp citrus matches perfectly wit the rich butter and counteracts the sweetness of the sugar.

These were a bit of an experiment actually. I used the Red Velvet recipe and tweaked it to make a lemon cheesecake flavoured cake. I used good quality lemon curd in the middle of the cakes and topped them with a lemon cream cheese frosting that was to die for. The lemon curd did sink a bit in the batter but it didn't really matter. There was a lovely lemony gooey centre/bottom to these cakes and they were a big hit at the party!

Ingredients
195g plain flour
85g butter, softened
225g sugar
1 large egg
Grated zest and juice of 1 1/2 lemons (you'll use the other half a lemon in the frosting)
3-4 drops yellow food colouring (optional)
1 jar (400g) of good lemon curd (you may not use it all)
3/4 tsp salt
175ml milk + 2 tbsp lemon juice (or 175ml buttermilk)
3/4 tsp cider vinegar
3/4 tsp baking soda

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C and line muffin tray with 12 paper liners.
In a small bowl, sift the flour and set aside. Combine the milk and lemon juice in a cup and set aside.
In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and beat well.
Add the lemon zest and a little yellow colouring if desired.
In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat.
In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.
Place a generous spoonful of batter into each muffin case and top with a spoonful of lemon curd. Cover the lemon curd with more batter so that it is sealed in. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and remove to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting I used this recipe as I needed it to be pipeable (is that a word?) and this guaranteed that it would be. As has become the norm I've converted the measurements to metric and added my alterations. This is also for 12 cupcakes rather than 24.

Ingredients
65g butter, at room temperature
115g cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
225g icing sugar
Zest of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp lemon curd

Directions:
Place butter in a large mixing bowl and blend slightly. Add cream cheese and blend until combined, about 30 seconds.
Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar and blend on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and beat until it begins to get fluffy.
Add the zest and lemon curd and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
Use at once or keep refrigerated. (This frosting will keep well in the refrigerator for several days, but you may need to re-beat it for the best texture.)

Read more...

Flourless Chocolate and Pear Cake

Flourless chocolate cakes fascinate me. Soft peaked egg whites give the cake air and structure and the ground almonds create a delicious texture. In this recipe, pears are rested gently on top of the light cake and it is baked in the oven. The cake come out moist and delicious with a good chocolate flavour. The pears bake until soft but still hold their structure well.



I found this recipe on BBC Good Food. We've got a glut of pears at the moment since we harvested them from our pear tree and even though this only uses a couple; every little helps!



Ingredients
85g butter , plus 1 tbsp extra for tin
85g golden caster sugar , plus extra for tin
85g dark chocolate , broken into pieces
1 tbsp Sailor Jerry rum
3 eggs, separated
85g ground almonds
4 pears, peeled, halved and cored (I only used 3 as that's all that would fit)
icing sugar, for dusting

Method
Cut a circle of baking parchment to fit the base of a 25cm loose-bottomed tin. Melt 1 tbsp butter and brush the inside of the tin, then line the base with the parchment and brush again with more butter. Spoon in 2 tbsp caster sugar, swirl it around to coat the base and sides, then tip out any excess.

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of hot water, remove from the heat, stir in the brandy and leave to cool. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a large bowl until pale and thick; fold into the chocolate with the nuts.

In a separate bowl, with a clean whisk, beat the whites until they reach a soft peak (try not to whisk them too stiffly or you'll have trouble folding them in). Stir a spoonful of the whites into the chocolate mix, then carefully fold in the rest of them in 2 additions. Spoon into the prepared tin. Level, then arrange the pears over the mixture, cut-side down.

Bake for 30-40 mins until the pears are soft and the cake is cooked all the way through. Leave to cool in the tin slightly before releasing it, then place on a rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar and serve

Read more...

Vegan Banana Oat Muffins

This was a recipe of necessity (no, really). Okay, so maybe one doesn't have to eat or even make muffins but they're yummy. These muffins include some wholemeal flour and some oats so they have some vague healthful properties (I try to kid myself...). The necessity came from the need to use up some ingredients. We had a selection of sad looking, browning bananas in the kitchen just begging to baked with, there's a carton of soy milk in the fridge waiting to be baked into a delicious treat (yes, my ingredients talk to me).

Anyway, these were delicious. They stored very well for several days but the topping lost its crunch during storage. The oats gave the muffin a lovely texture and the wholemeal flour gave some depth to the overall flavour. I used 3 1/2 bananas as they needed to be used up. You can use more or less depending on what you've got. Just make sure your bananas are really ripe to get the best flavour.

I originally found this recipe here but as I made some changes I'll convert it to metric and rewrite it here.

Ingredients
85g plain flour
90g wholemeal flour
25g rolled oats
170g white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
80ml vegetable oil
120ml soy milk
3 1/2 mashed bananas

For the crumb topping
50g brown sugar
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp wholemeal flour
3 tbsp vegan margarine
1 tsp ground cinammon
3 tbsp rolled oats

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C and line a 12 hole muffin tin with liners.
In a bowl ix the flours, rolled oats, white sugar, salt, and baking powder together.
Whisk the rest of the ingredients in a measuring cup. Mix on low and slowly add the wet to the dry.
Now fold the bananas in and fill the muffin liners about 3/4 full.
For the topping cream the butter with the brown sugar. Then add the rest of the ingredients until it becomes easy to sprinkle.
Sprinkle mixture evenly over all 12 muffins and then bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

Read more...

Damson Jelly

We've been on a bit of a preserving rampage recently. We've pickled shallots, vodka-d some sloes, curded some grapefruit, cooked up some mincemeat and jellied some damsons.

I've not had a lot of experience with jams and jellies. I have memories of my mum and my gran both making big pans of jams and marmalades, checking the setting point on a chilled saucer and carefully lifting hot jars from the oven. I have fond memories of unusual jams (marrow and ginger being a personal favourite - I must find a recipe for that) and the ubiquitous jar of tomato chutney lurking at the back of the cupboard.



My mum came home from work with two bags full of damsons from her friend's garden. They sat in the kitchen for several days until we finally decided what to do with them. Jelly. Jelly is not the same as jam. the fruit is simmered and then put into a straining bag (a specific jelly bag or muslin) and the juice is collected underneath. This sits for several hours (ours sat overnight) to make sure all the juice is extracted. The juice is then boiled until it reaches the setting point and then poured into hot jars to create a smooth, clear, set jelly. It's perfect on toast or fresh bread and even goes well with roast meats as an alternative to cranberry or redcurrant.

We found a simple and easy recipe here at BBC Good Food.

Ingredients
1.8kg Damsons
Juice of 2 lemons
Preserving sugar

Method
Wash the fruit, then tip into a preserving pan with the lemon juice and 300ml/1⁄2 pint water. Bring slowly to the boil, and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the fruit is soft.

Carefully pour the contents of the pan into a scalded jelly bag with a large bowl set underneath to catch the juice (see the Step-by-step photo). Leave for several hours.

Measure the juice back into the pan, then add 500g of sugar to every 500ml of juice or 1lb sugar for every pint of juice. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then raise the heat and rapidly boil until setting point is reached. Test this by spooning a little on to a chilled saucer. Cool slightly then push with your finger - if it wrinkles it is ready. If not return to the heat, boil for 5 more minutes and test again.

Pot into warm sterilised jars and cool before sealing. Can be eaten straight away, but keeps for up to a year.

Read more...

Slow Cooker Recipes: Christmas Mincemeat

I've been thinking about christmas. I know, it's too early but I can't help it. The supermarkets are stocked up with decorations, advent calendars and more. I can't help but notice the sparkling tinsel. To be honest it fills me with hope that this christmas season will be a healthy, happy time. I like being organised and have already started making plans. Stir up Sunday will soon be upon us and with it comes the baking of the christmas cake and (if I get organised) the christmas puddings. I'm sorry to put this christmas talk onto you but I have to share this recipe.

Mincemeat is a staple at christmas time. I make my own mince pies every year but have never attempted mincemeat. I thought about it last year and decided that this year was the time to go for it. Usually the ingredients are mixed cold and then placed into jars or tubs to mature a little before the season but this recipe struck me because it is cooked (in the slow cooker no less). I liked the idea of cooking the apple and spices and warming the fruits in some alcohol. The smell while this was cooking was amazing. There was a real warming scent that permeated the kitchen and the recipe was so easy to make. I'm contemplating making another batch before christmas so that we have plenty to go around and give out. It lasts in sterilised jars for 6 months is deliciously boozey and bursting with fruit. This made several jars of varying sizes.

Ingredients
450g cooking apples
115g candied peel (I used homemade candied pomelo peel)
115g glacé cherries
115g dried apricots (unsulphered apricots have a lovely flavour but use whatever you like)
115g blanched almonds
150ml Sailor Jerry rum (you can use whatever rum/brandy/booze you have)
225g dried cranberries
225g sultanas
450g raisins
225g brown sugar
225g suet (I used vegetable suet)
2tsp ground ginger
1tsp ground allspice
1tsp ground cinnamon
1/2tsp nutmeg
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
Grated rind and juice of 1 orange

Method
Peel, core and chop the apples, chop the peel, cherries, apricots and almonds. Place into the slow cooker.
Put half the rum and the rest of the ingredients into the pot and stir until thoroughly mixed.
Cover and cook on high for 1 hour.
Stir the mixture well then recover and reduce the temperature to low. Cook for a further 2 hours stirring halfway through to prevent the mincemeat from sticking to the sides of the cooker.
Remove the lid and leave the mixture to cool completely stirring occasionally.
Stir the reserved rum into the mixture and spoon into sterilised jars. Cover and store in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months.
Label and give as a gift or keep for your own mince pies!

Read more...

Vegan Red Grapefruit Curd

I love red grapefruit. I prefer the sour sweetness of red grapefruit to any other kind of grapefruit (though in all honesty, I'll eat whatever you put in front of me) and happily scoff them for breakfast on their own. I also just love the flavour of red grapefruit. The tart but somehow sweet juice and the beautiful colour of the flesh. Give me a grapefruit and I'll be happy.

I came across this recipe while browsing the Vegan Visitor blog. As you might have guessed I'm really getting in to vegan cookery and baking and have been doing some research. I've never made the more traditional lemon curd which involves egg yolks and butter but it's been on my to-do list for an age. I think I'm just scared I'll mess it up. This vegan version uses no scary possibly-scrambling eggs and no heart slowing butter (two of my favourite ingredients despite their propensity to do bad things if you let them) and was simply a mixture of that beautiful ruby juice, some sugar and some cornflour. The magical properties of cornflour thicken this sweet citrusy syrup into a gelatinous and spreadable curd. Divine.

The recipe is available here on Vegan Visitor where it is put into doughnuts (yum!) I've reprinted it here in metric with the addition that I poured mine into sterilised jars and am storing it in the fridge.

Ingredients
235ml Freshly Squeezed Red Grapefruit juice
225g Granulated Sugar
115ml Cold Water
4 Tablespoon Corn Starch
1/8 teaspoon Salt
Zest of Grapefruits, well washed before grating
60ml Soy milk
2 Tablespoons Margarine

Method
In a large saucepan, whisk together the juice and sugar, heating through over a medium high setting
Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water and salt.
Once the juice and sugar have just come to a boil, add the cornstarch mixture.
Reduce the heat to medium and whisk, stirring constantly, until it comes to a full boil.
Add zest.
Allow to boil for 1 minute, without stirring; it should be quite thick.
Remove from heat.
Blend in the margarine, then soy milk, with the whisk.
Pour into sterilised jars and seal. Store in the fridge.

Read more...

Vegan Rum and Raisin Cupcakes

I'm really beginning to love vegan baking. I was a bit scared at first but once you learn a few basic rules there is really no stopping you. I've tried to make things that don't require lots of single use ingredients. It seems like a waste of money to go and splurge on something for one recipe which will get thrown out before it can be used up.

I was going to tell you how difficult it is finding vegan ingredients in my small town but in fact, there's a little shop in the town centre that offers a wide range of vegan ingredients as well as a plethora of other random foodie things. The shop is almost heavenly for me but the staff seem somewhat uninterested. Maybe if I become a regular customer I'll feel more welcomed. Anyway, it means that I'll be able to grab vegan cream cheese and silken tofu for further vegan baking exploits. It's the small things that amuse me...


Back to these here cupcakes. This was the last remaining cupcake of the batch. I grabbed a couple of quick shots before scoffing it myself. They were delicious. They were golden and sweet with a nice hint of warming rum and the sticky raisins added a lovely texture. The raisins did sink to the bottom a bit as the cake mixture is quite runny but that was fine. I decided not to ice these as I was transporting them 25 miles (and I didn't want to run to the shops for more ingredients) and they had to sit in my bag for quite a while. I don't think I lost too much without an icing but maybe next time I'll glaze them or frost them in a more interesting way.

The intended recipient (Hi Jhon!) was very appreciative and scoffed the lot on the long drive home after the gig. He also asked for the recipe which is pretty much the most flattering thing you could ask me for. So in honour of Jhon, I post this recipe, please don't be scared of the number of ingredients, they all come together very easily. As ever this recipe is taken from the amazing Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World which is available from Amazon below, I have added my own notes and alterations.

I've converted this recipe from US cups into metric measures.

Ingredients:
110g raisins (I used crimson raisins which are slightly sharper than the darker ones
2 tbsp rum (I used Sailor Jerry as always)
190ml soy milk
1tsp apple cider vinegar
80ml sunflower oil
170g granulated sugar
1 tbsp black treacle
1 tbsp rum (again, Sailor Jerry)
1 1/4 tsp vanilla
140g plain flour
2 tbsp cornflour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Method:
In a small bowl combine the raisins and rum together and leave to stand for around 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
In a large bowl mix the soy milk with the vinegar and set aside for a few minutes to curdle.
Whisk the oil, sugar, treacle, rum and vanilla into the soy milk mixture until well blended.
Sift in the flour, cornflour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg into the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
Fold in the rum soaked raisins.
Fill 12 lined muffin cups 3/4 full making sure to get some raisins in each cup.
Bake in a preheated oven 180C for 18-20 minutes. They will be golden brown and deliciously scented when you pull them from the oven.
Allow to cool on a wire rack if you can resist them!

Read more...

Lemon Blueberry Upside Down Cake

Here's another dish from the dinner party I mentioned so long ago. This was dessert and it was so delicious!

I found the recipe via BakeBakeBake which is a cooking community based on Live Journal. I love Live Journal for its communities as there is no limit as to what you might find. People from all over the world add their recipes and photos of their creations which means you can always find something to make.



The original recipe is from Bon Appétit April 2006 but I will reproduce it here as I made it with the alteration of marzipan instead of almond paste.

Ingredients

Blueberry topping
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Lemon-almond butter cake
3/4 cup cake flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 ounces marzipan broken into small pieces
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons finely grated lemon peel
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, room temperature
3 large eggs, room temperature

Preparation

For blueberry topping:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine brown sugar and butter in 8-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides (preferably nonstick). Place cake pan over medium heat and whisk constantly until butter and sugar melt and mixture is smooth and bubbling. Using pot holders, remove pan from heat; cool 15 minutes. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over.

For lemon-almond butter cake:
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Combine marzipan, sugar, and lemon peel in bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until marzipan is broken into very small pieces, about 1 minute. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, beating until mixture is smooth and scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well and scraping sides of bowl after each addition. Add flour mixture and beat just until batter is smooth. Spoon batter in dollops over blueberries in pan; spread evenly with offset spatula to smooth.

Bake cake until deep golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 43 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 1 minute. Run small knife around cake to loosen. Place large platter atop pan. Using oven mitts or potholders and using both hands, hold platter and cake pan firmly together and invert; shake gently, allowing cake to settle on platter. Cool at least 20 minutes.



This was a really big hit with everyone eating. The blueberry topping is sweet and the lemon and almond cake compliment it beautifully. I will definitely add this to my repertoire and I really think it is the epitome of summer eating. The deep purple topping with the yellow lemony cake is beautiful and so tasty. I recommend that you make this before the season is out.

Read more...

Banana Bread Muffins.

If you make one recipe in the next few days make it this one, oh please make it this one. These are easy to make and they smell amazing. The combination of ripe mashed banana and rum soaked raisins is perfect and the beautiful golden colour that happens as if by magic in the oven is simply beautiful.


See? These are really easy to make and the recipe is actually for a banana bread loaf from Nigella Lawson. The muffins have an advantage over the loaf in that they are prettier, more portable and cook more quickly than a loaf cake. I honestly can't tell you a bad thing about this recipe other than you might want to double it!


I've rewritten the recipe here as I did make some changes but the original can be found here

Ingredients
100g raisins
75ml rum
175g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
125g unsalted butter, melted
150g sugar
2 large egg
300g ripe bananas (weighed without skin), mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put the sultanas and rum in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.
Remove from the heat, cover and leave for an hour if you can, or until the sultanas have absorbed most of the liquid, then drain.
Preheat the oven to 170ºC/gas mark 3. Put the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt in a medium-sized bowl and using a wooden spoon, combine well. In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and sugar and beat until blended. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the mashed bananas. Then, with your wooden spoon, stir in the walnuts, drained sultanas and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture, a third at a time, stirring well after each bit.
Fill a 12 hole muffin tin with paper liners and fill each with the cake mixture until used up (about 2/3 full). Bake in the preheated oven for 15-17 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out mostly clean. Do not overbake. Allow to cool (if you can resist them) and serve plain accompanied by another shortly after.

Read more...

Bread Machine Recipes: Marmalade Citrus Cake

I've been holding out on you. I made this cake on Sunday and have been meaning to post about it as it was such a success. I would have posted it after I made it but we ended up taking to a friends house (and came back with half a slice) where it was greatly received. We then went out that night and didn't get back until late. Then I was out on Monday and yesterday I was busy with house stuff. There are no excuses left, this has to be posted.

I decided that I'd like to try to make a cake in my bread machine. It's about the only thing I haven't tried (apart from jam but I'm not sure I'd do that in my bread machine as it has no instruction manual!) and I'd found a recipe for a Quick Marmalade Citrus cake in my go to bread machine book One Hundred Bread Machine Recipes by Vicki Smallwood (ISBN: 1856057135).

It was simple but could have been simpler if I'd had a cake setting on my machine. I thought I did but by the time I found that I didn't, it was a bit late. All the ingredients were in the pan and it was ready to go... I have a "bake" setting (sounds like cake) but it doesn't mix so I had to improvise. I mixed it on the Rapido setting and once it was all combined, I switched the machine off and set it to bake. It took and hour and came out beautifully, it was moist and dense and the citrus flavour was lovely. The smell was amazing. Next time, I'll mix everything thoroughly and then put it in the machine, I'll also choose the "light" crust setting as I didn't think to check it (hence the slightly dark exterior).

Here is the recipe that I made (I used grapefruit instead of lime as that's what I had in the house)

Ingredients
6tbsp marmalade
110g (4oz) butter
1 orange
1 lemon
1/2 red grapefruit (you can use any citrus)
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Place butter and marmalade in a saucepan and heat gently until melted (stir occasionally). Set aside to cool.
Finely grate the zest of the citrus fruits into a mixing bowl, add the butter and marmalade mixture and eggs and beat until thoroughly combined. Add the juice of the lemon, half of the orange and grapefruit and beat again. Pour the mixture into the baking pan of your bread machine.
Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and bicarboinate of soda and add to the baking pan.
Set the program to "CAKE." Check that all ingredients are mixing thoroughly about halfway through the mixing cycle. Once baked, turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Read more...

Spotted Dog

Spotted dog is a cross between a bread and a cake. It isn't too sweet and can be sliced and spread with butter or eaten plain. I believe it is a traditional Irish fruit bread which goes by many other names including curnie cake and railway cake depending on the area.

I made this recipe as something that isn't too high in fat and sugar. The 2lb loaf (I made two 1lb loaves) contains no butter and only 3tbsp of sugar. The recipe was very easy to follow and didn't really take much time at all. I used whatever dried fruit I had lying around (a berry mix and some sultanas to bring it up to the required weight) and the verdict was pretty good.


I must say I didn't taste this myself (I posted a loaf each to my dad and a friend of mine) my dad said he really liked it and was saving the last piece to have before he went to bed. I'm very tempted to make this again and think it would be delicious with a cup of tea and a chat with friends.

Ingredients:
300g/10oz plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
3tbsp caster sugar
100g/4oz mixed dried fruit
1 egg, beaten
200ml/7fl oz buttermilk*

Method:
Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5. Butter a 2lb loaf tin (or two 1lb tins.
Sift the flour, salt and bicarb together into a large bowl and stir in the sugar. Make a well in the centre and add the fruit, egg and buttermilk. Mix lightly and quickly into a soft dough.
With floured hands, remove the dough from the bowl and knead very briefly. Press into the prepared tin.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden and the loaf feels firm to the touch.
Turn out and leave to cool.

*A note about buttermilk -
I didn't and don't have buttermilk in my kitchen. I used a simple recipe of 1tbsp lemon juice (or white vinegar) to 200ml of milk. Mix together and leave to stand for 5 minutes and use as called for in the recipe.

This recipe is from the BBC Good Food magazine book 101 Cakes and Bakes.

Read more...

Cherry Chocolate Roulade - Alternative to Christmas Pudding

We had my brother and his girlfriend over for Christmas this year and I spent some time planning the meal so that the shopping and cooking of it was as stress-free as possible. I decided against the traditional christmas pudding as I know that Al doesn't like it and I'm not a huge fan of having it straight after a big fat roast dinner. The house was already full of food and drink and so something a bit lighter than christmas pudding but still a bit special was necessary to round off the meal.

I eventually decided on a roulade. A roulade is made from a fat free sponge that is baked in a large, shallow pan. When cool, the filling is added (I chose whipped bream and a jar of cherries) and the sponge is rolled up like a swiss roll.

I'd never tried making this before (what is it with me and new recipes this christmas?) but I figured it wouldn't be too tough. I found a recipe that could be made ahead because, let's face it, who wants the hassle of dessert on Christmas day? The sponge was made on the 23rd December and filled on Christmas eve for us to enjoy on Christmas day.

And enjoy it we did! It was a bit of a hassle to roll but I think I should have maybe cooked it for a little bit longer. It was delicious though. Moist and chocolatey with a rich cream filling and juicy cherries. I'd definitely make this again but I'd probably make it for more people. I had to throw some of it away as it didn't all get eaten despite how yummy it was.

I used this recipe for the sponge cake and general idea. I left out the cherry conserve, swapped the kirsch for the syrup the cherries came in, didn't bother with the chocolate decorations and didn't dredge the finished product with icing sugar as it was already sweet enough.

Ingredients:
For the sponge:
6 large eggs, separated
175g (6oz) caster sugar
200g (7oz) plain chocolate, melted
2-3 tbsp juice or syrup from the cherries

For the filling:
300ml double cream
1 jar or tin of cherries in juice or syrup
3-4 tbsp reserved juice or syrup.

Method:
1. Set the oven to gas mark 4 or 180°C.

2. To make the roulade, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar, until the mixture leaves a trail when the whisk is lifted out from mixture. Fold chocolate into the egg-yolk mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites into the egg-yolk mixture, then turn out into the Swiss roll tin. Use a palette knife to spread the mixture out to the edges, taking care not to knock out too much of the air. Bake in the centre of the oven for 20-25 mins, until the mixture has set. Remove from oven and turn the roulade out on to a board that has a sheet of baking parchment on it. Leave the lining paper on the roulade sponge and then cover with a damp, clean tea-towel and leave to cool for at least 4 hrs, or overnight.

4. To make the filling, whisk the cream until it starts to form soft peaks and stir in the reserved syrup

5. Remove the tea towel and lining paper from the roulade sponge and brush the syrup over the surface. Then spread over the cream and then scatter over the cherries. Use the base sheet of baking parchment to help roll the roulade up from the longest side. Transfer roulade to a serving dish.

Read more...

Loaf cake recipes

Okay so I'm going to start going through the backlog of recipes from the christmas period. I made a few gift packages of baked goods and bravely tried all new recipes. I had a lot of luck really and made my first real foray into loaf cakes.

I chose loaves as they're easy to fit into a box for shipping, tend to keep well, are easily customisable and are easy to make. This season I chose a traditional tea loaf and a chocolate banana bread. Absolutely delicious.

The tea loaf was from a recipe by Simon Rimmer. It's very easy but does require you to soak the fruit overnight and bake the cake the next day. I found the original recipe here [note: there is a mistake in that the recipe doesn't mention what to do with the sugar - I add it in with the flour etc.] but I made my own changes.

Ingredients:
225g mixed dried fruit (chopped dates, raisins, sultanas, cranberries all work well)
300ml/½ pint tepid Earl Grey tea
250g/9oz self-raising flour
200g/7oz soft light brown sugar
1 free-range egg, beaten
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Method:
1. Place the dried fruit and tea into a large bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and leave to soak overnight.
2. The next day, preheat the oven to 175C/325F/Gas 3.
3. Add the flour, sugar, egg and spices to the bowl with the fruit and mix well.
4. Grease two 1lb loaf tins and carefully share the mixture equally between the two.
5. Transfer to the oven and bake for one and a quarter hours, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

It is suggested that this loaf be served with butter and jam but I find it moist and quite sweet enough without. It goes nicely with a cup of tea and a natter with friends. Feel free to use whatever fruit you like and spice according to your own tastes.

The second loaf cake I went for was a banana bread from Nigella. I had some bananas that were at the perfect banana bread stage (black skinned, soft and sweet) and I had someone in mind when making this one. I had seen this recipe mentioned on Dressing for Dinner and again it seemed like an easy one to customise as necessary. I left out the dried fruit and booze soaking (though I will soon try it with these steps left in) and added cocoa powder and a packet of chocolate chips as I had them sitting around.

This cake was delicious and moist and chocolatey. Seriously, it was amazing. You could taste the banana sweetness and the cocoa powder complimented this with a slightly bitter chocolate flavour. The chocolate chips were yummy in the way that chocolate chips always are. I used two 1lb loaf tins again and divided the batter between the two.

The recipe for this can be found here.

I think I have now decided that loaf cakes are the perfect sweet treat for sending to friends. I'm sure I will continue to make them in various combinations as they are endlessly variable.

Read more...

Low fat baking: Apple and cinnamon scones

Okay, so I've been looking for ways to get a sweet fix without loading up on butter and sugar. It sounds impossible I know, but it's important to try these things. I've also got my parents coming to stay next week and they're looking for healthy treats too.

So I found a recipe for Wholemeal Apple and Cinnamon Scones and, as they were quite simple, I decided to make a batch last night. I substituted the powdered soy milk with powdered skimmed milk but kept everything else the same.

They came out quite well. They're not as light as scones made with just white flour (and butter). They were delicious straight out of the oven and I had a few for breakfast this morning with a tiny scraping of butter. They're also quite small so you can have more than one in a sitting and not feel like a complete pig!

I think next time I'd add a bit more fruit and cut the cinnamon down a tiny bit (I'm always a bit lax when measuring spices) but overall I think they're a real success. I'm still on the look out for more recipes though!

Read more...

News: Mis-shapen fruit and veg

That's right, Europe's laws regarding the sale of weird shaped fruit and vegetables looks set to be repealed. The numerous laws banning non-perfect fruit and vegetables from reaching supermarket shelves have been in force for 20 years but with food prices rising a rethink has suggested that maybe this is a bit much.

I must say it's pretty ridiculous and terribly wasteful to just throw funky shaped food away. However, this may not be as positive as you might think. Of the 36 types of fruit and veg governed by these laws; only 26 will be relaxed, these don't include apples, citrus, kiwis, lettuces, pears, tomatoes, grapes, peppers, strawberries and peaches/nectarines. It may be that these 10 will be relaxed later as long as they are clearly labelled as "intended for processing."

Also, the weird shapes wont be around until July next year so there'll be no multi-pronged parsnips or knobbly potatoes on your plate for christmas.

So really, does it matter what your fruit and veg looks like? I think that as long as it tastes good, why should it?

Read more...

In Season: Pomegranates

My favourite thing at this time of year is the pomegranate. Last year I probably ate my weight in the gorgeous little beasts and was sad when I saw them disappearing from the shelves of the produce section of local supermarkets. Pomegranates are in season between September and January here and their jewel like seeds make a beautiful addition to many festive treats both sweet and savoury.

I had my first one of this season yesterday and I'm about to go and grab another. Granted, they're not the easiest fruit to eat but once you find what works best for you it gets easier. I cut mine across the middle and then tear the skin and pop the seeds out. It can be messy but it's rather satisfying and the look of a bowl full of the deep red arils is just amazing. I then tend to just get a spoon and scoff them all but they have been known to make it into some recipes from time to time.

Other ways to get the seeds away from the flesh include cutting the fruit in half and hitting the back with a wooden spoon as you catch the seeds in a bowl, there is also the classic way to shut your kids up - give them a pomegranate and a pin!

Pomegranates are touted as a superfood and are a good source of antioxidants and potassium.

So, if you can resist eating them straight from the bowl then here are some recipes to showcase this most beautiful fruit:

• Easy tabbouleh - cook some bulghar wheat (or cous cous if you prefer) in chicken or vegetable stock, and add handfuls of chopped fresh mint and parsley. Add lemon juice and segments of citrus fruit such as orange or satsuma and some chopped red pepper. Season to taste. This easy salad is great for lunchboxes.

• Marjorie Lang's Aubergine wontons with pomegranate raita (I really want to try this)

• James Tanner's Pomegranate fool
  

Read more...

Adventures with Bread Machines: Banana and Peanut Butter Bread

Okay, this is the last back-logged bread machine post for now and unfortunately I don't have any pictures. This is the Banana and Peanut Butter Bread from the same book (One Hundred Bread Machine Recipes - Vicki Smallwood) as the last two and the only other one I have tried so far.

I wasn't sure whether to make it in the first place. I had a couple of ripe bananas hanging around and some peanut butter that needed using up and I thought I should find a simple recipe to combine them both. This is a good recipe but I was apprehensive as I was making it. It was a very simple "put-it-all-in-the-pan" type recipe but the smell as it was cooking was somewhat disturbing (a mixture of tea bags and banana skins). I was later informed by a good friend that peanut butter and bananas both smell kind of funky when they're being cooked (but taste pretty good when they're done). I was reassured and let decided to actually taste the finished product.

To be honest, I wasn't too impressed with the bread as it was. I had some while it was still warm and although it was nice, it didn't have a strong banana flavour. The crunchy peanut butter gives it a bit of texture which is really good but the over all flavour was a little disappointing.

This bread really comes into its own when toasted. Oh my gosh it's seriously good. I spread a little butter and honey on my toast for breakfast and it's absolutely delicious. Another good thing about toasting it is that it doesn't matter too much if the bread is a little stale (good for me as I'm the only one eating it).

I don't think I'd make this recipe again but I would like to try another banana bread. It's very important to use very ripe bananas as it gives much more flavour to the final product. Crunchy peanut butter is a delicious addition and makes the whole thing a bit more interesting.

So on with the recipe

Ingredients:
2 bananas
4 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
1 cup warmed milk
2 tbsp melted and cooled butter
2 tbsp caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups white bread flour
1 tsp active dry yeast

Method:
Mash the bananas with the peanut butter and mix together thoroughly.
Add the other ingredients to the baking pan in the order shown only put the banana mixture in after the salt but before the flour.
Set the machine to "Basic" and let the bread bake.
When the cycle has finished, transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool.

Read more...