Showing posts with label Baking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baking. Show all posts
I had never heard of Bakewell anything until I moved over here to the UK. I have always, however, had a great fondness for almond flavoured cakes and bakes.
Don't get me started on chocolate covered almonds either . . . I cannot resist!
I had not been here very long when I ran into Bakewell Tarts . . . .
Little pastry cases filled with a layer of jam and topped an almond frangipane cake, and glazed with an almond iced, garnished with a candied cherry.
Todd just loves these. LOVES LOVES LOVES I have always found them a tiny bit cloying and somewhat too sweet.
That was my first experience with Bakewell, little did I know how very good they could actually be . . . until I baked my own . . . you can see those here.
That was when I truly fell in love with the Bakewell combination.
Since then I have played with the flavours of Bakewell baked goods, making Bakewell Whoopie Pies, Bakewell Slices, Bakewell Scones . . .
Raspberry Bakewell Overnight Oats, and . . . a traditional Bakewell Tart . . . just to name a few of my Bakewell creations.
Each one incredibly scrummy and yummy in their own unique Bakewell ways. But what is a Bakewell supposed to be you might well ask. Wikipedia describes it as thus:
The Bakewell tart developed as a variant of the Bakewell pudding in the 20th century. Although the terms Bakewell tart and Bakewell pudding have been used interchangeably, each name refers to a specific dessert recipe. The tart is closely associated with the town of Bakewell in Derbyshire.
Simple, right? Wrong . . . not so simple . . . there are as many variants and claims to invention as there are months in the year.
It is indeed a very intriguing question, one without a succinct answer except to say . . . almond flavour figures big when it comes to Bakewell anything.
And we shall leave it at that. This Bakewell Blondie is a small batch recipe I adapted from a full sized one I found here. The pictures looked amazing . . .
But in all honesty I didn't really want that much temptation laying around. Todd can only eat so much and I didn't want to be snuffling up the leftovers myself.
So I cut the recipe in half as best as I could and baked it in a 9 by 5-inch loaf tin, which is the perfect pan for baking small batch bars.
I was really pleased with the outcome until I realised that I had forgotten to put the almonds on top before baking . . . not a problem.
I drizzled an almond glaze over the cooled bars and then sprinkled toasted flaked almonds on top of that. Perfect!
These are fabulous little bars. FAB-EWE-LOUS! (And yes I know that is not the way to spell fabulous, I am trying to make a point here. They are really tasty!)
So good in fact that I am glad I only made a small batch. Rich, fudgy, sweet . . . dense and filled with white chocolate chips and almond flavours . . . with a swirl of raspberry jam and then that almond glaze and those flaked almonds.
Can you say M O R E I S H? I hope so because that is what these are! Incredibly edibly moreish.
Small Batch Bakewell Blondies
Yield: Makes 8 blondies
These amazing brownie type of bars are fudgy, sweet and gooey with jam. I have glazed them with an almond glaze and sprinkled toasted flaked almonds on top for a cookie bar you won't be able to resist!
Ingredients:
For the bars:
- 120g butter, melted (1/2 cup)
- 50g caster sugar (1/4 cup)
- 50g soft light brown sugar (1/4 cup packed)
- 1 large free range egg, beaten
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 50g ground almonds (1/3 cup)
- 100g plain flour (1 cup, minus 3 TBS)
- 1/2 TBS cornflour (cornstarch)
- 100g white chocolate chips (1/2 cup)
- 8 tsp raspberry jam
For the glaze and topping:
- 65g icing sugar (1/2 cup)
- few drops of almond extract
- hot water
- a handful of toasted flaked almonds
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line a 9 by 5 inch loaf tin with baking parchment, leaving an overhang. Set aside.
- Beat together the melted butter and both sugars until smooth. Beat in the egg and almond extract. Stir in the flour, corn flour and ground almonds until smooth and well mixed. Stir in the white chocolate chips. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tin. Smooth the top.
- Dollop the raspberry jam evenly spaced over top in little puddles. Using a skewer, lightly swirl it through the blondie mixture.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until they are done with a slight wobble in the centre. This could take longer, or it could take less time. Start checking at 25 minutes. It all depends on how hot your oven runs.
- Leave to cool completely in the tin before lifting out onto a cutting board.
- Whisk together the icing sugar, almond extract and just enough water to give you a thickish drizzle that you can easily flick over the top of the bars. Drizzle it over and then sprinkle with the almonds.
- Allow to set and then cut into 8 bars. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
If you only bake one thing this weekend, let it be these!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The
English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are
reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you
may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for
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We are enjoying a day filled with dark clouds and plenty of rain today. We can't complain really. May was a beautiful month, but we do need rain.
Rain is a part and parcel of why this country is so lush and green! Admittedly things were starting to turn brown, and I don't like that either!
Might as well improve the day by baking a lovely dessert. Lemon Sandwiches with Blueberries and Cream are just the ticket to brighten anyone's day!
With everything that is going on though, rain can be a bit depressing. With the virus, the lockdown, the riots, etc. we needed a bit of a pick-me-up.
A pick me up is always welcome and there is nothing better for that than a tasty dessert. And what a fabulously delicious dessert this is!
Thick slices of a moist and delicious lemon cake are topped with a rich yogurt cream and a sweet fresh blueberry sauce. Its very similar to a strawberry shortcake in a way I suppose.
Except this isn't made with baking powder biscuits. Its made with lemon cake. A moist and delicious lemon cake. A very yummy cake.
You really can't go wrong with this dessert. Thick slices of that gorgeous cake, stuffed with berries and a yogurt cream, and then dusted with some icing sugar. Beautifully delicious.
Incredibly moreish. Simple and easy to make, and yet at the same time very impressive to say the least.
That cake is light and lemony. You could enjoy just the cake on its own with along with a nice hot cuppa . . . and trust me, we will be doing just that.
I mean lemon cake and hot cups of tea, what could be better than that? I''ll tell you what! Slices of lemon cake stuffed with cream and berries, that's what!
It is moist and tender and as light as an angel's wings. That cream filling is a lush mix of whipped cream and thick greek yogurt, with just enough tang to provide a brilliant cool contrast to the sweetness of the cake.
Even on its own that cream filling is lovely. I love using yogurt in things like this. It has a tang that is quite unbeatable. Rich and creamy.
Lets talk about the berry portion. Oh sure, you could just put some fresh berries in the middle and nothing else. Stir them together with a bit of blueberry jam that has been loosened with a bit of lemon juice and . . . wow, just WOW!
This is amazing. Sweet and amazing, and such a simple concept. You will find yourself thinking of other ways that you can use this sweet filling and cream.
Of course if you are not fond of blueberries, you could use strawberries, or raspberries. Maybe even sliced canned peaches. All would be pretty wonderful.
All would be quite delectable. Peaches and raspberry jam would give you almost a Peach Melba kind of touch. I do so love Peach Melba. Don't you?
The recipe calls for a pretty long loaf tin, which I did not have. Instead I used a 10 by 3 inch loaf tin as well as an 8 by 3 inch tin. They were perfectly baked in about ten minutes less than the recipe states.
This did mean that I had two cakes. I froze one. Yes, this cake is easily frozen. Just wrap it tightly and freeze. I use two layers of plastic cling film and then a layer of foil.
The recipe is one I adapted from one of my favourite cookery books, Apples for Jam by Tess Kiros. I love her books. I have about four of them I think.
Her recipes are quite nice I think. Especially the ones in Apples for Jam. I think I have cooked just about every recipe in that book. It is rare that you will actually do that. Its a sign of a very good cookbook.
All of her recipes turn out wonderfully and are simple. In their simplicity they are quite delicious. I have never had one fail me yet.
The chapters are ordered according to colours, with each chapter following a different colour theme. The photographs are also quite beautiful. If you don't have this book, you might want to consider getting it for yourself.
I have all of her books. There was only one that I really didn't care for much, the Portugese one. Piri Piri Starfish. I gave that one away, but Apples for Jam and her book Falling Cloudberries . . . exquisite!
The Fallling Cloudberries ones explores her childhood and growing up with a mixture of a Scandanavian and Greek heritage. Both are countries which intrigue me. I have wanted to go to Greece since I was a child. Perhaps one day I will actually get there!
Lemon Sandwiches with Blueberries & Cream
Yield: 12
A basic lemon cake, which is great just as a cake, but put slices together in paird, with some tangy yogurt cream and sweet blueberries sandwiched in the middle and you have a company worthy dessert worth sharing!
Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 250g butter softened, (9 ounces or 1 cup +1TBS)
- 280g caster sugar (1 1/4 cups superfine sugar)
- 3 large free range eggs
- 310g plain flour (2 1/2 cups)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- the finely grated zest and juice of one unwaxed lemon
- 185ml of single pouring cream (3/4 cup)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
To fill and finish:
- 100ml double cream (3 1/2 fluid ounces)
- 2 tsp icing sugar
- 100ml thick greek yogurt (7 TBS)
- 100g fresh blueberries (3 1/2 ounces)
- 3 TBS blueberry jam
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- icig sugar to dust the cake
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 170*C/325*F/gas mark3. Butter a 12 by 4 inch loaf tin really well and dust with flour. Shake out any excess flour. Alternately you can line it with baking paper.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Sift the flour and baking powder together with a pinch of salt. Whisk into the creamed mixture alternately with the cream, until you have lovely smooth batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for one hour and ten minutes until a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the pan completely.
- To make the filling. Whisk the jam together with the lemon juice to loosen. Fold in the fresh berries. Set aside to macerate.
- Whip the cream with the icing sugar until soft peaks form. Fold in the yogurt.
- Cut the cake into 1/2 inch thick slices and sandwich together with a dollop of the cream/yogurt mixture and a nice spoonful of the berries. Dust the top with icing sugar and serve.
Quick and Easy Rhubarb Cake. This is an old fashioned rhubarb cake recipe you are all really going to enjoy. I guarantee!!
I was gifted with a quantity of rhubarb the other day and since I usually bake my husband something to enjoy at the weekend I decided to bake him a rhubarb cake.
He does love a piece of cake with his hot drinks. I don't blame him. Hot drinks and cakes go together like peas and carrots!
This is one of my favourite Rhubarb Cakes. Quick & Easy Rhubarb Cake is extremely easy to make and oh so delicious! I never get tired of it. Never.
This easy rhubarb cake is so moist and delicious and is perfect served cold with whipped cream as a dessert, or just out of hand as a snack cake.
Everything for the cake gets beaten together in one bowl. There no need for multiple bowls like there is with some cakes.
One bowl cake? Count me in!
You beat together the cake ingredients, easy peasy, beginning with the eggs and sugar. I like to beat them until they are really light in colour.
The volume will also increase somewhat and it will become thick.
I use Vanilla Paste for this because I love the depth of vanilla flavour it gives to bakes, plus the little flecks of vanilla seeds throughout the batter are also nice.
You can totally use ordinary vanilla extract if you wish. Just don't use the artificial stuff. Pure is always better.
There is not much leavening in the cake. Only 3/4 of a teaspoon, which is why you should beat the eggs and sugar together until light. This will give your cake more volume.
Its simple chemistry.
The rhubarb is chopped and scattered over top of the batter in the cake tin. I love the way it looks on top of the cake.
It couldn't be easier.
I love the way it bakes up.
With little dimples and studded pink craters . . . you scatter some granulated sugar over top prior to baking . . . which gives the top of the cake a bit of a crunch.
You can see how beautiful the texture of this cake is. The rhubarb also stays near the surface instead of sinking down, which I like.
You could of course serve it warm with a good vanilla ice cream.
I like to serve it with dollops of lightly whipped double cream . . . that is heavy cream to any North Americans . . .
I don't sweeten the cream or anything . . . I just whip it (by hand) until soft peaks form. I don't use squirty cream if I can help it, not ever.
Squirty cream never holds up. I think its quite yucky to be honest.
It never quite comes close to the pleasure and quality of real whipped cream. Never.
In any case, this is a cake I think most people who love rhubarb will enjoy. I bake it at least once during rhubarb season myself.
Yield: Makes one 9-inch cake
Quick & Easy Rhubarb Cake
A simple cake with a beautiful texture and wonderful flavours.
Ingredients:
- 130g granulated sugar (2/3 cup)
- 3 large free range eggs
- 3 TBS butter, melted
- 2 TBS whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 150g plain flour (1 cup +2 TBS all-purpose)
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 2 large sticks of rhubarb, diced (about 2 cups)
- 2 TBS granulated sugar to sprinkle
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Generously spray a 9-inch round cake tin with canola cooking spray. Set aside.
- Beat the eggs and first amount of sugar together in a bowl until light. Beat in the melted butter, vanilla bean paste and milk. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt, Stir into the creamed mixure to combine well together. Pour/scrap into the prepared baking tin. Scatter the chopped rhubarb over top. Sprinkle with the 2 TBS granulated sugar.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the tin on a wire rack. Cut into wedges to serve.
- I like to dust it with icing sugar and serve with softly whipped cream.
Oh how I wish I could sit down and eat a whole piece of this. I'm afraid I am paying for the sins of my youth in my old age. Oh well . . . I did have a tiny bite and my husband ate the rest. Its called quality control. I wouldn't want to feed him anything nasty . . . 😏
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan@aol.com
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