Showing posts with label Desserts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Desserts. Show all posts
I always like to offer something light for dessert over the holidays. We are eating such rich foods and to be honest after a heavy meal I often don't have enough room for cake or puddings . . . I find this delightful jelly mold fits the bill perfectly!
I have been making it for years and years. I think I got the original recipe from one of the Kraft folders you used to be able to pick up or have sent to you in the post.
They came in colours like yellow, blue and pink and the print and photographs were always in black and white.
They used to give the address to write for them on their advertisements and they always sent them to you for free! I have quite a few of them that I saved through the years.
They are good reliable recipes and have become old faithfuls for me! It often wouldn't be the holidays without making at least a few of them!
This makes the perfect holiday dessert with it's two layers. All you need is four packets of lemon jelly (jello) a tin of sweetened condensed milk and some sour cream.
Oh yes, and some fruit. I used grapes, both green and red.
It goes together quickly and simply and is so easy to dress up. I simply plunked a Christmas package decoration down in the middle of this and it looks fabulous don't you think?
And it tastes gorgeous. It was dark by the time we cut into this but trust me when I tell you it sparkles like a jewel . . . a bit of softly whipped cream to adorn each portion and you got a well impressive dessert that most will enjoy!
*Creamy Layered Lemon Dessert*
serves 16
Have
ready a large gelatin mold which you have sprayed with nonstick cooking
spray. Stir two packets of the gelatin together with 345ml of the
boiling water (1 1/2 cups). Stir for about two minutes until the
gelatin is completely dissolved. Pour into the prepared mold and place
in the refrigerator to chill for about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove and
press the grapes down into the mixture. Return to the fridge for 20
minutes or until set, but not firm.
Add the remaining
water to the other two packets of gelatin. Stir for another two minutes
to dissolve. Whisk in the condensed milk and sour cream to combine
well. Allow to cool and slightly thicken and then pour this mixture
over the other mixture in the mold. Chill for at least 2 hours or
until completely firm before serving.
It's really easy to switch the flavours around with this dessert simply by swapping out the flavours of jelly and type of fruit. Try using chopped tinned peaches in stead of the grapes, beautiful with the lemon. Or using a cherry jello and drained fruit cocktail or pears. You could also use orange jelly and drained mandarins. Use your imagination!
Apricots and prunes have a natural affinity for each other. One is rich, sticky and sweet, almost toffee-like . . . the other plump and almost tart . . . and in it's dried state . . . nicely chewy, almost leathery. Steep them in some tea or sherry . . . and they take on an almost angelic texture . . . most satisfyingly moreish.
They quite simply . . . belong together . . . much like Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy . . .
I love puddings . . . that is what they call dessert over here . . . pudding . . . It's one of the things that I love most about this country . . . these different little words and phrases that are used to describe the ordinary. This word "pudding" has such a deliciously beckoning sound . . . much more so than "dessert," don't you think???
If you are like me, you always have a few recipes tucked away that you can execute at the drop of a hat should unexpected company drop in. This is one of my favourite desserts that I can throw together very quickly and which I always have the things in the larder to make.
One of our favourite things to eat here in the UK at this time of year are blackberries and they are pretty much free for the asking, as they grow wild in the hedgerows all across the country. They are quite prolific and need little or no care really, which is probably why they can be found in such abundance. They can be somewhat of a nuisance to home gardeners whose aim is to have a very manicured garden, as they do have a habit of popping up in the most diverse of places, their canes travelling beneath the ground. I, for one, don't really mind. We love blackberries and cannot get enough of them when they are at their best, eating them fresh as often as possible . . . and I try to freeze as many as I can as well, for winter time treats. We grown our own in our garden . . . well, I say that. We actually planted tayberries, but they've become blackberries for the most part. The blackberries which grow in the hedgerow bordering our property have taken over somewhat and intermingled with them, so what we have now is a happy mixture of them both.
Apple and Bramble (blackberries) have to be the quintessential flavour combination for September here in the UK. That's when the apples are ripe and the hedgerows are bursting with fresh blackberries, free for the picking.
When we lived down in Kent, we were surrounded by orchards and we were welcome to go scrumping each autumn, which is the word they use to describe picking up the windfalls.
I do so love the names that they give to their puddings over here in the UK. (Pudding itself is another word for dessert!) You are going to absolutely love this Apple and Bramble Hat that I am showing you here today.
It's a steamed pudding, with a suet crust . . . coming out almost like a steamed pie really. Just look at that flakey pastry crust there . . . you can see the juices from the fruit on the bottom of the plate.
I suppose they call it a "hat" because this pudding slightly resembles a Turkish Fez hat. Pie, pudding, hat . . .
it doesn't really matter what it is called. Just know that it is absolutely delicious, and a lot easier to make than you would suppose.
If you click here, you will see a photo tutorial I did on how to do the crust, in a previous post. It's the same method for this.
This pudding is filled with lots of lovely tart cooking apple and sweet purple blackberries, with some warm baking spices, butter and a bit of lemon juice . . .
all steamed until beautifully blended together for a really delicious and hearty early autumn pudding.
You tear the "hat" open a bit while it's still hot and prior to serving and drop in a nice dollop of clotted cream if you wish. It's not essential, but comes highly recommended.
Otherwise you can just spoon it into bowls, warm . . . and serve it with some vanilla ice cream, pouring cream or custard (creme anglaise.) That of course is up to you and how decadent and naughty you feel like being. ☺
A delciously simple steamed pudding filled with lightly spiced and sugared apples and blackberries, and butter . . . You are supposed to tear open the top and pop in a tablespoon of clotted cream prior to eating, but this is optional.
225g of self raising flour (1 1/2 cup plus 2 TBS)
pinch salt
110g of shredded suet (1/2 cup)
(can use an equivalent of grated frozen butter if you wish, but the pudding
will be richer)
6 to 8 TBS cold water
1 1/2 pounds cooking apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
a small punnet of fresh blackberries (about 1 cup)
75g of soft light brown sugar (6 TBS packed)
1/4 tsp ground cloves
the finely grated zest of 1 lemon and the juice of 1/2 lemon
50g unsalted butter (1/4 cup)
clotted cream (optional)
Butter
a 2 pint pudding basin (4 cup) really well. Sift the flour and salt
into a bowl. Drop in the suet and give it a swirl. Stir in enough
cold water to make a soft, light dough. Knead lightly and roll out on a
lightly floured board to a large circle 1/4 inch thick.
*Apple and Bramble Hat*
Serves 6
Serves 6
A delciously simple steamed pudding filled with lightly spiced and sugared apples and blackberries, and butter . . . You are supposed to tear open the top and pop in a tablespoon of clotted cream prior to eating, but this is optional.
will be richer)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon Cut off one
quarter of it and set aside. Use the remaning 2/3 of the dough to line
the pudding basin, sealing the cut edges well together. You should
have somewhat of an over hang. Mix together the sugar, cloves, ginger,
cinnamon and lemon zest.
Layer the apples and blackberries in the
pudding basin, sprinkling a bit of the sugar mixture in between the
layers. Gather up the remaining dough and refoll it into a circle large
enough to cover the top of the fruit.
Dot the butter over top of the
fruit, and then cover with the dough circle, tucking it down around the
edges. Trim the edge of the bottom pastry and then fold it over the
lid, dampening it to secure it and pressing it together firmly.
Cover
with a piece of well-buttered pleated greaseproof paper, allowing room
for the pudding to rise. Secure with some string around the edge of
the bowl. Place in the top of a steamer and steam for 2 to 2 1/2 hours,
topping the steamer off with boiling water as necessary.
Turn out
onto a warmed serving plate and tear the top of the pudding open. Drop
in the clotted cream. Serve warm.
Note - If you don't have brambles try using some sultana raisins instead. Then it would taste somewhat like a dutch apple pie!
Note - If you don't have brambles try using some sultana raisins instead. Then it would taste somewhat like a dutch apple pie!
I was sent a really nice piece of kitchen kit a few months back from the people at Eddingtons.
The PL8 Gourmet Slicer. I've been really putting it through it's paces over the weeks and wanted to tell you all about it today. Since I've been using it for all sorts, I've kind of thrown together a meal for your viewing pleasure . . . some really delicious marinated lamb chops with a potato side dish, a deliciously fruity slaw and a tasty dessert, most of which (with the exception of the lamb) I have been able to use this handy piece of kitchen kit for! In other words . . . a really "Grate" meal, every pun intended!
Blueberries were very hard to come by for the first several years I lived here in the UK.
I m happy to say that in the intervening years they have become readily available, and actually quite affordable. We can buy them in all of the grocery stores now, even the budget shops.
My husband and I also grow our own as well now. This means I have lots to use in a variety of ways.
My husband and I also grow our own as well now. This means I have lots to use in a variety of ways.
Being high bush ones, they are not quite as flavorsome as the wild ones from back home, but they are still pretty good!
We had the missionary elders for tea last night and so I baked them a little taste of home in the way of this fabulous Blueberry Coffee Cake.
The British idea of a coffee cake is a cake which is highly flavored with Coffee, as in a Coffee and Walnut Cake. This is NOT one of those . . .
Instead this is a coffee cake in the North America sense, which merely means that it is a lovely moist cake, sometimes with a crumble topping, perfect for enjoying with a hot or cold drink.
A cake that is perfect for brunches . . . and yes, also great dessert when served warm and topped with ice cream or cream.
This is exactly that kind of cake . . . with a moist and tender cake batter.
It is flavored and moistened by the use of lemon yogurt . . . with the fruity topping of a generous amount of fresh blueberries . . . and a moreish buttery crunch of cinnamon flavoured brown sugar streusel on top.
Delicious. Simple. Quick to make.
You can substitute butter for the vegetable shortening if you wish.
*Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake*
Makes one 9 inch square cake
Makes one 9 inch square cake
Printable Recipe
This cake has no coffee in it. It is merely a moist cake, chock full of berries and topped with a cinnamony streusel topping, perfect for coffee break or elevensies with a hot drink.
for the cake:This cake has no coffee in it. It is merely a moist cake, chock full of berries and topped with a cinnamony streusel topping, perfect for coffee break or elevensies with a hot drink.
1/2 tsp vanilla
55g of lemon yogurt (1/4 cup)
Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan until just warm. Lift out and cut into squares to serve.
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We had the Missionary Sisters over for supper last Tuesday night and I cannot believe I am only getting to now tell you about these beautiful tarts that I made for our desserts!
I suppose half a week pretty much without internet has really made me fall behind on my posts. But I am showing them to you today and that is what counts!
The blueberries are ripening on our bushes at the moment and I took advantage of this fact to bake some lovely little blueberry tarts for us all. I have baked this before using apples and plums as a large tart, and it was gorgeous.
The blueberries are ripening on our bushes at the moment and I took advantage of this fact to bake some lovely little blueberry tarts for us all. I have baked this before using apples and plums as a large tart, and it was gorgeous.
You can find that recipe here. I decided that it would work very well as individual tarts and using blueberries.
It is a really simple recipe and always turns out. It made 5 individual tarts, but my tart tins were 4 inches across.
If you made smaller ones you would get more tarts out of the recipe. These were very filling and on the large side for delicate appetites.
The pastry is a real doddle to make. It goes together in the food processor, lickety split. And you can have it rolled out in no time and lining your tarts.
There is no need to pre-bake the pastry either. You just slap the filling in and bake them.
The filling consists of a vanilla sponge which bakes like a cake inside that sweet short crust pastry . . . puffed up and golden brown . . . clustered around those lovely sweet berries, all sweet and sunken into the delicate sponge . . .
I erred on the side of caution when adding the berries. When I make these again, and I will do just that . . . I will add even more berries. A tasty brush of warm apricot jam finished them off. We had them with clotted cream . . . of course!
*Summer Blueberry Tart(s)*
Makes8 servings as a tart
or 5 individual tarts
Makes8 servings as a tart
or 5 individual tarts
For the sponge:
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. The tart is done when the berries have sunk in a bit and looked cooked, and the sponge has risen and gotten golden brown in places. Also the pastry is crisp and golden brown. Allow to cool for several minutes before removing to a wire rack. Melt the jam in a small saucepan and push through a seive. Brush some on top of the tart (s). Serve warm or at room temperature with cream or ice cream.
WE do love a good cobbler in this house. We grow all of our own soft fruits in our back garden . . . black currants, strawberries, raspberries, tayberries, gooseberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. We don't get a lot of anything at any one time . . . not yet anyways. The bushes are all still young and so at best we get things in dibs and dabs.
I tend to freeze a lot of it so that eventually I end up with enough to make a pie or some such with them. Hopefully with each year that passes, and as we add more bushes and plants, we will one day end up with a plethora of berry goodness. We do have a lot of strawberries now each season. It's taken almost four years to get to that point. The rest will eventually catch up as well, but in the meantime I make a lot of bumbleberry goodies.
There really is no such thing as a bumble berry . . . it's basically a name you give to a pie or dessert which has been created using at least three different berries . . . all "bumbled" together, and so it was with this Bumbleberry Cobbler which I baked for the missionaries when we had them for supper last Tuesday evening.
Containing random bits of all of the berries we have available at the moment . . . this cobbler had blueberries and blackberries from last year in it (we are still waiting for ours to ripen this year) mixed with black currants, tayberries and raspberries . . . the only real requirement being that there be at least three different types of berries . . .
Lightly flavoured with lemon sugar and topped with a crumbly buttery, vanilla infused scone topping . . . and baked until the berries are all bubbling up and sweet . . . the scone topping is browned and crisp . . . and the whole thing together is one delicious mass of tasty cobbler goodness . . .
Served warm . . . each bowl holding a portion of that thickened sweetened fruit, along with some of that buttery cobbler topping . . . and topped with a dollop of clotted cream, this dessert delights all of the senses. In short . . . it went down a real treat and the platter was licked totally and completely clean. I love it when that happens. Job done.
*Bumbleberry Cobbler*
Serves 8 to 10
A gorgeous juicy mixed berry filling topped with a crumbly, butter, vanilla infused scone topping. What's not to like about this?
For the filling:
850g of mixed summer berries (raspberries, blackberries, tayberries, blueberries, etc.) (6 cups)
200g granulated sugar (1 cup)
the finely grated zest of one lemon
3 TBS plain flour (all purpose)
For the topping:
158g of plain flour (1 cup plus 5 TBS all purpose)
6 TBS granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
6 TBS butter, chilled, cut into bits
1 large free range egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
To finish:
1 TBS granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
To serve: (all optional)
clotted cream
pouring cream
ice cream
whipped cream
Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Butter a deep nine inch square baking dish. Set aside. Alternately you can use a 10 inch round quiche dish.
Mix together the sugar, lemon zest and flour for the filling. Place the berries into a bowl. Toss together with the flour mixture and pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading them out evenly and making sure all of the sugar, etc. is evenly distributed.
Whisk the flour for the topping together with the sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Drop in the butter. Rub it in with your finger tips until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Whisk the egg and vanilla together with a fork and then toss this into the flour mixture, tossing it all together until evenly moistened. It should be clumpy. Scatter this over top of the fruit as evenly as you can. Mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle this evenly over all.
Bake in the preheated oven until the topping it golden brown and the filling is cooked through and bubbly, some 45 to 50 minutes. Cover lightly with some aluminium foil halfway through the baking time to prevent the topping from over-browning. Serve warm with clotted cream, ice cream, whipped cream or pouring cream.
What do you get when you cross a beautiful gift basket with a bit of cook's ingenuity and acumen? Well, I'll show you what you get. Hang on to your hats! You're in for a delicious ride!
I just have to show you what I recently received. This isn't a great photo of it because of the plastic wrapping, so I will show you the one from the gift site . . .
It is a lovely gift hamper from the people at Hampergifts, makers of gift baskets and luxury Christmas hampers. The one I received was their Wine and Cheese Feast, and it was chock full of lots of lovely goodies!
It was presented in a lovely wicker basket with wooden handles and everything was packed perfectly so as to make sure nothing got broken.
It contained a lovely assortment of biscuits, chocolates, chutney's, spiced nuts, crackers, a bottle of wine and two lovely cheeses.
With Graces Irish Shortbread Biscuits (shaped like shamrocks), Border's Black Forest Biscuits, a lovely box of Baronie Belgian chocolates, some Cairnsmhor Sea Salt Crackers, Cottage Delight Old English Chutney with Cider . . .
Edinburg Preserves Rosemary Biscuits for Cheese & Pate, Cottage Delight Spicy Mango & Ginger Chutney, Olives-et-al Chilli Harissa Almonds, some lovely chocolate caramels, again from Baronie . . .
EDinburg Preserves Quince Jelly and two lovely rounds of cheese from the Snowdonia Cheese Company, a Little Black Bomber Cheddar(with attitude) and a Little Red Devil (Red Leicester with Chilies and Crushed Pepper).
Also included was a bottle of Merlot from Kleine Zalze.
We were able to enjoy some of that cheese earlier this week as a traditional Ploughman's lunch picnic supper! I do so love a Ploughman's lunch/supper. They are so easy to throw together. All you need is some crusty bread, some nice pickle/chutney, a couple of good cheeses, some fruit (apple in this case), a bit of veg (cucumber and lettuce on this occasion) and some chunky bits of ham. You end up with a feast fit for a King or Queen!
Afterwards we feasted on some delicious Black Forest Cookies and Cream Sundaes! Oh boy were these really easy to put together and so fabulously scrumptious!
I quite simply crumbled several of those lovely chocolate biscuits that were in the hamper into the bottom of two dessert glasses . . .
dropped a scoop of really good vanilla ice cream on top of the cookies . . .
Drizzled over top some warmed cherry jam and a homemade chocolate sauce . . .
And topped them off with some squirty cream . . . and a couple of milk chocolate wands . . . the end result being something which was totally delicious, yet had taken me next to no time at all to put together.
*Black Forest Cookies and Cream Sundaes*
Serves 2
I did something totally delish with that bottle of wine too, but I'll save that for another day! In the meantime I would like to thank Sophie along with the people from Hamper Gifts for sending me this lovely Gift Hamper. This post was written in collaboration with Hampergifts, makers of gift baskets and luxury Christmas hampers.
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