*Roly Poly Rhubarb Pudding*
Serves 8 Kind of like a rolled rhubarb dumpling baked in a delicious sauce. Serve with lashings of custard or cream for a delicious treat! For the dumplings: 280g plain flour (2 cups) 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 2 1/2 TBS butter 7 fluid ounces of milk (7/8 cup) For the filling: softened butter for spreading 95g caster sugar (1/2 cup) freshly grated nutmeg 3/4 pound rhubarb, chopped (2 cups) For the Sauce: 190g caster sugar (1 cup) 4 tsp plain flour 1/4 tsp salt 240ml hot water (1 cup) 1 TBS butter freshly grated nutmeg Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a deep 9 inch square baking dish and set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into little bits and drop it into the flour. Rub it in with your fingertips until it resembles fine crumbs. Stir in the milk to make a soft dough. Tip out onto a floured board. Knead a few times and then pat out to a rectangle that is 1/4 inch thick. Spread the top with softened butter. Sprinkle the sugar over top and pat down. Sprinkle with some freshly grated nutmeg and then cover with the chopped rhubarb. Pat it down a bit then roll up as for a jelly roll, pinching the edges shut. Cut into 8 slices with a sharp knife. Place each slice, cut side down into the prepared baking dish. Whisk together the sugar, flour and salt for the sauce. Whisk in the hot water. Cook on high in the microwave for about a minute. Take out and whisk. Cook for a further minute, until boiling. Pour this over top of the rhubarb rolls in the dish. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes in the heated oven, until the rolls are cooked through and the whole thing is nice and bubbly. Serve warm, spooned into bowls, along with some custard or pouring cream. |
I confess when I was younger I was not all that fond of chicken salad sandwiches. I am not sure why. It is something which I have taken to mostly in my older life. There wasn't anything really per se that I didn't like about them, I guess I just always preferred sliced chicken to chicken salad. To be honest, I hadn't really tried it . . . I just always thought that I wouldn't like them, and so I was hesitant to try. When I worked at the Manor though, I used to make Chicken Salad for my boss now and then, and in the process I was required to taste it, and I then learned that actually, Chicken Salad was kinda tasty!
One of my husband's favourite desserts has to be Custard Pie or Tarts. When I am grocery shopping, I will oftimes pick him up a couple of custard tarts to enjoy. He loves them. They are tall and thick and well coated with nutmeg.
I can't say I am overly fond, although I could not give you a reason why. I like custard, and I like nutmeg, I am just not that fond of Custard tarts . . . its a texture thing I think . . . they are pretty solid . . . I like my custard a bit creamier.
I do like this Magic Pie however. It is basically a lazy man's custard pie, except that it has a lot more going for it.
One . . . its very easy to make. Its as easy as stirring a few things together.
Two . . . it's not just plain custard, it is filled with lots of coconut and almonds. I love both of those.
If something has coconut and almonds in it, I am on board! Love, LOve, LOVE!
It uses things like flour, sugar, dessicated coconut, flaked almonds,eggs, milk, vanilla and melted butter, which you simply whisk together and pour into a buttered dish.
If you can measure things accurately and whisk, then you can make this pie. Its so simple, really. Just whisk, pour and bake. That's when the magic happens.
It kind of makes a crust, and a creamy coconut filling. Then there is that nutty topping.It puffs up really high in the oven.
You might be tempted to think . . . "UH OH" . . . when you first see it, but never fear . . . all is well . . .
It sinks back down once you have removed it from the oven and it sits for a while. Don't be afraid when you see how much it puffs up.
It really does puff up quite high. Also don't be afraid when it sinks back down. Its supposed to do that.
I like to dust it and prettify it up a bit with a light dusting of icing sugar when I go to serve it. It just adds a special extra something.
Its a bit like adding a bit of blusher to a plain gal's face, or a touch of lippy. Just brightens things up a little bit. You can leave it off if you don't want to of course.
This is an update of a recipe which I first baked some 8 years ago now. I wanted to take some nicer photos of this and I felt it was a recipe which was worth repeating for you.
You can see the original post here.
On that occasion I served it with some tinned spiced peaches . . . which was and is very good, today however . . .
I served it with some fresh raspberries and blueberries, because I happened to have them in. The tartness of the fresh berries goes very well with the sweetness of this tart . . .
And because I happened to have some in the refrigerator, I added a dollop of clotted cream to the top, which made it all the more irresistable.
This really makes for a lovely dessert all round. Rich, creamy, sweet, filled with texture and beautiful to look at. You can't ask for more than that in a dessert. I would serve this to company.
Just a few store cupboard baking ingredients. I usually have everything in the cupboard to make this and I am thinking you might as well!
For the Pie:
75g plain flour, sifted (1/2 cup plus one scant TBS)
220g caster sugar (1 cup plus 1 TBS plus 1 tsp)
60g dessicated coconut (1/2 cup, slightly heaped)
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
125g of butter, melted (1/2 cup plus 2 tsp)
40g of flaked almonds, divided (scant 1/2 cup)
480ml of whole milk (2 cups)
To serve:
Fresh or tinned fruit and or cream
Whisk the flour, sugar, coconut, eggs, extract, butter and half of the nuts together in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the milk, stirring until completely amalgamated. Pour into the prepared dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.
Sprinkle the remaining flaked almonds on top. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven to a wire rack to cool.
For the Pie:
75g plain flour, sifted (1/2 cup plus one scant TBS)
220g caster sugar (1 cup plus 1 TBS plus 1 tsp)
60g dessicated coconut (1/2 cup, slightly heaped)
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
125g of butter, melted (1/2 cup plus 2 tsp)
40g of flaked almonds, divided (scant 1/2 cup)
480ml of whole milk (2 cups)
To serve:
Fresh or tinned fruit and or cream
HOW TO MAKE MAGIC PIE
Its really as easy as whisking a few ingredients together, pouring them into a baking dish and baking. Seriously simple.
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/Gas mark 4. Butter a deep 9 1/2 inch pie or flan dish well and set aside.
Whisk the flour, sugar, coconut, eggs, extract, butter and half of the nuts together in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the milk, stirring until completely amalgamated. Pour into the prepared dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.
Serve cut into wedges along with some cream or fruit, if desired.
If you are looking for a simple and easy dessert to make this weekend, that is also moreishly delicious, look no further. This one fits the bill on all those counts. Very scrummy indeed!
Yield: 8 servings
Magic Pie
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 55 Min
So called because, just like *magic*, presto chango!!! A pile of ingredients separates into three perfect layers! Delicious coconut custard pie that is fabulous served with cream or fruit, or both! I have converted to American measurements as best as I can.
Ingredients
For the Pie:
- 75g plain flour, sifted (1/2 cup plus one scant TBS)
- 220g caster sugar (1 cup plus 1 TBS plus 1 tsp)
- 60g dessicated coconut (1/2 cup, slightly heaped)
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 125g of butter, melted (1/2 cup plus 2 tsp)
- 40g of flaked almonds, divided (scant 1/2 cup)
- 480ml of whole milk (2 cups)
To Serve: (all optional)
- Fresh or tinned fruit
- Whipped or clotted cream
- Pouring cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/Gas mark 4. Butter a deep 9 1/2 inch pie or flan dish well and set aside.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, coconut, eggs, extract, butter and half of the nuts together in a large bowl.
- Slowly whisk in the milk, stirring until completely amalgamated.
- Pour into the prepared dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Sprinkle the remaining flaked almonds on top. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve cut into wedges along with some cream or fruit, if desired.
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There is no denying it. Potatoes are my favourite vegetable, which is a darned shame really because they are carbs which get converted directly into sugar. As a diabetic, I need to try to limit these types of carbs . . . oddly enough sweet and new potatoes are not as bad. Go figure! I do eat them . . . regular potatoes that is, but in limited quantities. Recipes such as these breakfast potatoes are pretty not as bad for you because it combines the potatoes with other vegetables, so you are not getting quite as many of the carbs . . .
I like to use red skinned potatoes. (Rooster is what I used today) They have a nice and yellow flesh. Along with them I use red onion, along with both red and green bell peppers.
This makes for a beautifully coloured combination, with lots of texture and a variety of flavours . . .I could just look at this photo for hours, with all of the different colours . . . look at the lovely red rings in the onions . . . such beautiful patterns. The artist in me thrills at such a thing . . .
The vegetables are tossed together with a mix of butter and olive oil, some spices and herbs, and then are spread out onto a large rimmed baking sheet.
You want to leave plenty of space between them, so that the hot air in the oven can circulate around them evenly. This way they actually roast rather than stew. When you are using a vegetable with lots of water in it, like peppers, this is a real hazard. So really spread them out.
Today I used some thyme and marjoram . . . my mother would have used oregano. She discovered oregano back when I was in my last year of highschool. Up to that point, salt and pepper were what she used, with the exception of poultry seasoning when she was cooking our thanksgiving dinner. My father was not fond of spicy things or anything different. Oregano was really a bit adventurous for her! I love herbs and I use them often, and I use a variety. No need to use fresh here, dried work perfectly fine..
Along with the thyme and marjoram, I used fresh garlic, finely minced of course . . . and some seasoning salt, cayenne pepper and a mix of kosher salt and black pepper. Altogether a most brilliantly delicious combination. I don't overdo the cayenne . . . it can be super hot.
If you wanted a TexMex flair, you could use oregano, dried cumin and dried coriander . . . . potatoes done that way would be lovely wrapped in a warm tortilla with some cheese and egg, kind of like a breakfast burrito. YUM!
You needn't only keep these delicious potatoes for breakfast occasions. They also make a great light supper. That is how we enjoyed them today, along with some scrambled eggs and whole wheat toast. I think we have eggs for supper in one way or another at least once a week. In fact we are more likely to have them for supper than we are for breakfast!
*Breakfast Spuds*
Serves 4
1/2 tsp dried herbs as desired (thyme, marjoram, oregano, etc.)
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Have ready a large rimmed baking sheet.Set aside.
Wash the potatoes really well and then cut into large cubes. Place into a bowl along with the onion and peppers. Add the minced garlic, olive oil, melted butter, any herbs you are using and the seasonings. Toss together well.
Wash the potatoes really well and then cut into large cubes. Place into a bowl along with the onion and peppers. Add the minced garlic, olive oil, melted butter, any herbs you are using and the seasonings. Toss together well.
Pour onto the baking sheet and spread out into a single
layer. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender and golden brown,
stirring every 5 minutes.Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve
immediately.
Note - make sure you don't crowd the pan. If they are packed too closely together they won't brown properly. Also I like to line the baking sheet with some baking paper, which keeps them from sticking.
When I was a child I could hardly wait for Rhubarb Season to roll around. My mom would make us our favourite rhubarb pies. They were so tasty, served warm with vanilla ice cream all melting down into that buttery crust and the sweet/tart juices of that beautiful fruit . . .
But that was not the bestest part. The bestest part was eating it raw.
Oh what a treat that was. Mom would carefully wash and trim each of us
a stalk and then we would each be given a little bowl of sugar. We
would sit there at the table and dip the ends of the rhubarb into the
sugar and then suck and munch away . . . a jaw aching, mouth puckering
right of spring. It was soooo good.
We have a rather large rhubarb patch out back here in the garden. We
brought up the rhubarb that we had had down in Kent when we moved up
here 8 years ago, and we added it to the patch that was already here. Its never really done well here however, producing only spindly stems. Its rather early in the season of course, so for this pudding toay, i took advantage of the early pink Yorkshire forced rhubarb we can get in the shops this time of year. It has a beautiful colour.
These first tender pink and ruby coloured spring shoots are so
delightful, and a wonderfully welcome taste after the long cold wet winter we have had. When I was married before, in what seems like eons ago, we used to summer on PEI most years. I used to walk along the beach near my es-husbands American relatives cottage in Malpeque and pick wild rhubarb, which grew there in abundance.
As with most fruits, the wild stuff was smaller in size, but larger in flavour. I wonder why that is? Have we slowly grown the flavour out of things? Or is it just the flavours are more concentrated in a smaller fruit . . . in any case this early pink rhubarb very much reminds me of that Malpeque rhubarb.
Today we had company for dinner and I made a sort of a roly poly rhubarb pudding for dessert, with a rich buttery scone type of batter, spread with butter, sprinkled with sugar and nutmeg and then scattered with the chopped pink stalks of this delightfully tart fruit.
Rolled up and then cut into slices like a
jelly roll, they were placed in a buttered pan, and topped with a sweet, lightly
spiced sauce and then baked. It was oh so wonderful, served up warm and
covered with lashings of warm homemade custard. You could also serve it with pouring cream.
I tried to tempt Todd with a stalk rhubarb and a bowl of sugar once . . . so he could dip it, like a natural pixie stix, but he wasn't having any of it! Lets just say it didn't appeal!
*Proper Custard*
Makes about 3 cups
This is also known as creme anglaise. Be sure not to let the mixture boil once the eggs are added, or you wil end up with a curdled mess. You only need to heat it up enough to cook the eggs. The custard is ready when it coats the back of a wooden spoon.
8 egg yolks
75g caster sugar (a generous 1/3 cup)
300ml whole milk (1 1/4 cup)
300ml double cream (1 1/4 cup)
1 vanilla pod, split
Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until well blended. Place the milk and cream in a saucepan with the vanilla. Scrape the insides of the vanilla pod into the mixture before you add it. Bring the mixture just to the boil.
Pour a little of this mixture into the eggs to temper them, and beat it together well. Pour this back into the pan and whisk together. Return to the heat and using a whisk, lightly stir until it begins to thicken. DO NOT BOIL.
As the egg yolks warm, the cream will get thicker and create a custard. Keep stirring until it coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and pass through a fine sieve. Leave to cool a bit before using. Serve warm or allow to cool completely,stirring occasionally.
If you only make one dessert this spring, it really should be this one. You won't regret it! Bon Appetit!
Going out for one of these was always a real treat. With tender roasted meat with gravy between two thick slices of white bread with more gravy ladled over top, they would be served up hot, on large platters, with plenty of hot chips, veg and coleslaw on the side. You could also have gravy on your chips (fries), or not as per your choice. In Canada we love gravy on our chips, and here in the UK, they also like gravy on their chips, or curry sauce. (Something I have yet to try.)
I had some leftover roast chicken today and so I made us Hot Chicken Sandwiches for a change, instead of the usual casserole. Of course with there only being two of us and with neither of us having huge appetites these days, we basically only each ha half of a sandwich, along with the suggested trimmings. It looks like rather a lot, but we only ever use a sandwich plate for our meals these days, never a full dinner plate. And it is plenty for us.
2 TBS of appropriate stock
about 720ml (3 cups) of hot leftover or fresh gravy 
Good chips/fries are a must! If you want to make your own from scratch this is a cracking recipe. You can also use oven chips. I like the crinkle ones in that case, or if you are really lucky and have a chippy close by, you can just send hubby out to pick up a large portion of chips. By the time you have the remaining elements ready, he'll be back and you'll be set to go!
There
are two things you need for perfect chips. One a really good potato.
You want a nice floury one, such as a Maris Piper. You cannot make good
chips with new potatoes. Old ones are best. Second you want to start
with pure hard fat or dripping, preferably an animal fat. Third . . .
patience. Good chips require several cookings. The first is a quick
poaching in lightly salted water. . Let them cool and then fry for
about five minutes just until cooked through, then a final fry in hotter
fat to brown and finish cooking. See . . . patience.
a good solid fat to half fill your pan when melted
a frying thermometer
a frying thermometer
I added a dollop of cranberry sauce to the top of mine . . . coz I'm crazy like that, and I love cranberry sauce with both roast chicken and turkey. You will want a nice gravy to serve with your hot sandwiches. You can of course use Bisto granules and make it that way, but if you have leftover drippings, etc. its really quite easy to make a better tasting gravy from scratch!
2 TBS plain flour
360ml pan juices, broth, water, wine or a combination ( 1 1/2 cups)
Coleslaw is a must. You won't get any meal at a diner in North America, that doesn't come with a small container of coleslaw on the side. At some places it might be a vinaigrette coleslaw, but more often than not it will be a delicious creamy slaw. Just like this.
*Creamy Coleslaw*
Serves 8 to 10A deliciously cream coleslaw that has just the right amount of crunch and flavour! There is no sogginess here!!
10 ounces of white cabbage, trimmed, cored and very thinly cut
(about 1/2 of a medium cabbage)
5 ounces of carrots, peeled, trimmed and julienned
(1 medium carrot)
4 inches of an English Cucumber, trimmed, seeded and cut into small dice
(Do not peel)
2 - 3 large dessertspoons of good quality mayonnaise
1 TBS of Dijon mustard
2 TBS white wine vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
1/2 tsp celery salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp onion powder
Place the vegetables into a large bowl. Whisk together the mustard, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, sugar, celery salt, black pepper and onion powder. Mix well. Pour over the vegetables and toss to coat. Cover and chill for at least one hour before serving.
Note - the amount of mayonnaise you use depends on the cabbage, some cabbages take more mayonnaise than others. It also depends on how creamy you like your coleslaw!
Of course there may be times when you don't have any leftover gravy, or even gravy granules, but don't worry! That doesn't mean you can't still make a delicious gravy as this next recipe proves quite deliciously! Adapted from a recipe found in the Fanny Farmer Cookbook. (So you know that it just has to be good!)
*Improvised Gravy*
Makes about 360ml (1 1/2 cups)
360ml beef or chicken broth or stock (1 1/2 cups)
leftover drippings or butter |
This isn't something which we have very often, maybe only once a year. Back in the day I could eat a whole one of these sandwiches, and then a polished of a slice of cream pie as well. Mind you, back in the day I was a very busy and active mother of five. Things change . . . Bon Appetit!
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