*Chocolate Bounty Cake*
Makes one 9 by 13 inch cake
Printable Recipe
A moist, quick mix chocolate cake, dolloped with a sweet bounty like coconut filling and topped with a chocolate buttercream icing. Delicious! 175g of plain flour (1 3/4 cups) 240g of granulated sugar (1 1/4 cups) 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1/2 tsp salt 4 ounces butter, softened (1/2 cup) 250ml of buttermilk (1 cup) 1 tsp vanilla 3 medium free range eggs 3 ounces good quality unsweetened chocolate, melted For the filling: 1 397- tin of sweetened condensed milk (14 ounce,NOT evaporated milk) 7 ounces of flaked coconut (2 2/3 cups) 1 tsp vanilla Chocolate Buttercream: 2 ounces dark chocolate melted 150g of butter, softened (2/3 cup) 520g of icing sugar, sifted (4 cups) 1 tsp vanilla 2 to 4 TBS milk  Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter and flour a 9 by 13 inch cake tin, shaking out an excess flour. Set aside. Measure all the cake ingredients into a large bowl. Beat with an electric whisk until all the ingredients are moistened, and then beat for about 3 minutes at medium speed. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Mix together the sweetened condensed milk, flaked coconut and vanilla. Spoon over the top of the cake batter, in teaspoonfuls, being carefull not to touch the sides of the pan.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top springs back when lightly touched in the centre. Cool completely before proceeding. Beat together all of the ingredients for the buttercream until light and fluffy. Spread over the top of the cake. Cut into squares to serve. |
Showing posts with label Desserts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Desserts. Show all posts
You would be forgiven for thinking this is a somewhat ugly dessert . . . but this is one dessert where you don't want to judge the book by it's cover, for it's fabulously delicious!
We normally have our Sunday Dinner on Saturdays. Sundays I never have the time to cook a big meal. We spend half the day either getting ready for church or in church and then when I get home, I have phone calls to make to Canada, etc. so Sunday is usually catch as you can.
Saturday is the day I make us a Sunday type of dinner, complete with dessert. Today I treated my husband with one of his favourites . . . the most hedonisticly scrumptious dessert ever . . .
Golden Syrup Dumplings. With lashings of vanilla custard. You just must have custard with a dessert like this . . . or at least Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. It's a given.
Rich, stodgy, and oh soooooo scrumdiddlyumptious!
Very "School Dinnerish!"
Imagine puffy little buttery dumplings . . . poached in a buttery golden syrup and brown sugar sauce . . . spooned all hot and scrummy into a bowl and then covered with lashings of warm vanilla custard.
I know . . . I oughta be ashamed of myself.
*Golden Syrup Dumplings*
serves 8
Printable Recipe
Quick, easy to make and oh so delicious! Lashings of custard or vanilla ice cream are a must!
7 ounces butter (3/4 cup plus 2 TBS)
8 ounces soft light brown sugar (1 cup packed)
4 ounces golden syrup, plus 2 TBS (1/2 cup plus 2 TBS)
400ml of milk (1 3/4 cup)
450ml of water ( 2 cups)
500g of self raising flour (3 1/2 cups plus 2 TBS )
Put the water, half of the butter, all of the sugar and 4 ounces of the golden syrup into a large wide pan. Bring to the boil and then reduce immediately to a simmer.
Warm the milk just a little bit. Place the flour and remaining butter in a food processor and pulse until it resembles bread crumbs. Whisk the warm milk and 2 TBS of syrup together. Add to the flour mixture and blitz until it comes together.
Bring the liquid back to the boil and drop in dessertspoon size pieces of the dough. Turn the heat down to a simmer again and gently cook for 10 minutes, turning the dumplings gently a few times. You may need to do them in a few batches, so that they don't stick together. Just scoop out the first lot with a bit of the syrup, and place into a baking dish,covering with foil. Keep warm in a very slow oven while you cook the rest. Serve warm, spooned into heated bowls along with lashings of vanilla custard! (Vanilla ice cream is also nice.)
Note: Golden Syrup is very similar to corn syrup but has more of a caramel type of flavour. You could use light corn syrup and add about a teaspoon each of both butter and vanilla extracts for extra flavour.
I freely admit that one of my great weaknesses is chocolate . . . and it doesn't seem to matter how I get it . . . candy bars, cakes, biscuits . . . creamy hot chocolate. I confess I am not a fan of really cheap powdery tasting chocolate though. I am a bit more discerning than that. It always disappoints. I do have a passion for Coconut Bounty Bars . . . that chewy coconut filling . . . the milk chocolate coating. The two together are simply bliss.
So that's what I set out to do . . . although it didn't end up exactly as I had envisioned . . . the end result was still rather scrummy and completely edible.
The cake was quite moist . . . and the macaroon coconut quite sticky and scrummy. I had wanted the filling to settle somewhere in the middle . . . but alas, it sunk completely to the bottom.
Epic failure . . . or a wonderful discovery???
I dunno . . . but . . . in any case, here it is!
I am now on a quest. I think I need a batter with a denser texture. Perhaps then the filling will stay where I want it to be. Watch this space!
I have to say up front that one of my absolute favourite flavours has to be ginger. I love it in any way shape or form. It's wonderful, dried and powdered . . . and sprinkled into spicy cake and cookie batters. I love it freshly grated . . . and cooked up into wonderfully fragrant stir fries and sauces. I also like to make a delicious lemon and ginger tea with the fresh ginger root. (It's just wonderful steepedin boiling water, along with the juice and zest of half a lemon . . . and then served with a bit of honey and a great cure all for when you have the sniffles . . .)
On Valentines day I like to pull out the stops a little bit when it comes to serving a lovely dinner to my beloved. Nice needn't be complicated however. A simple soup for a first course . . . a steak (with a bearnaise butter) and baked potato for the main, along with a salad . . . and for dessert, this simple, uncomplicated yet delicious dish. Floating Islands. A bit old fashioned yes, but impressive nonetheless and light. Perfect for afters when you've eaten a somewhat heavy meal.
Old Tim Bread Pudding. One might be tempted to overlook this recipe as it doesn't look like anything special, but this is one of those great old fashioned recipes that is a gem in disguise.
It's one of my husband's favourites! He has always said his mother
made the best bread puddings, but after I made him this one the other
day, he's changed his mind and declared mine better than hers. I am
well pleased.
Originally designed to make the use of stale or leftover bread, this pudding isn't to be confused with it's lighter airier cousin Bread and Butter Pudding. This is the ugly stepsister of said pudding, It is stodgy, somewhat heavy, and stogged full of dried fruits and spices.
You can see from the photograph that is is quite solid and cuts nicely into squares, which makes it perfect for eating out of hand if you wish.
In fact I often see it being sold by the square in local bake shop windows. When we were in Llangollen, Wales, one time it was beautifully showcased in one of their bakery windows. Of course we had to buy a square to bring home and enjoy with his evening tea.
My husband had described this to me many times through the years, but you know how men are. Their descriptions of thing only ever very rarely actually give you a true picture.
My friend Jo who worked at the Manor with me as the housekeeper used to make this all the time, but again, I never had actually seen it first hand, until I made it for myself. It can be a bit hard to describe to people who are not familiar with it.
It is lovely warm and cut into squares. My husband enjoys it warm with custard or cream poured on top. It is equally as lovely served cold along with a nice hot cuppa.
It is very reminiscent of a fruit cake in both texture, weight, and flavour actually. The difference being it's not a cake. Its a pudding and its a delicious pudding at that.
I am not sure how old the recipe is, but I suspect that it's been around a very long time. I suspect it came about from some cook's desire not to let anything go to waste, especially stale crusts of bread.
I do hope you'll give it a go and that when you do you enjoy it as much as we do. It's relatively low in fat as well I would say. Yes, there is some butter in it, but not a lot in actuality. It is economical, delicious, and real comforting family fare.
We love this warm, but we really love this cold and cut into squares or slabs. It always goes down a real treat and is a great way to use up leftover stale bread.
When you first read the recipe you think to yourself, how could that ever be tasty. But you are wrong. It is incredibly, edibly, wonderfully delicious.
Make Your Own Mixed Spice:
You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.
You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.
Old Time Bread Pudding
Yield: Makes one 12 by 9 inch pan
prep time: 15 Mcook time: 1 H & 20 Mtotal time: 1 H & 35 M
This is very different than bread and butter pudding. Don't confuse the two. This is a very traditional and stodgily delicious blend of dried fruit, spices, bread, eggs and milk. Perfect for a winters day tucked up in side in the warmth and best served with custard or cream. It's also very good served cold and simply cut into squares.
Ingredients:
- 400g of white bread, torn into pieces (about 7 cups)
- 600ml of milk (2 1/2 cups)
- 450g of dried fruit (3 cups)
- (Use a mixture of raisins, sultanas and currants
- 100g sugar (1/2 cup)
- 50g of self raising flour (1/4 cup plus 2 TBS)
- 1 1/2 TBS mixed spice (see my right hand side bar for a recipe to make your own)
- 2 large free range eggs, beaten
- 100g of butter, melted (7 TBS)
- demerara sugar to sprinkle on top (turbinado)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 150*C/300*F. Butter a rectangular pan about 12 by 9 inches well. Set aside.
- Put the bread into a large bowl. Pour the milk over top and allow it to stand for 10 minutes. At the end of that time, beat it all together with a wooden spoon. Stir in the dried fruit and sugar. Mix well together. Stir in the flour and mixed spice. Add the beaten eggs and the melted butter. Pour into the prepared pan. Sprinkle demerara sugar on top evenly. Bake for one and a half hours.
- Raise the oven temperature to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4 and bake for a further 10 minutes or so until the pudding is golden. Excellent served warm with custard or cream, or eaten cold.
This is one of the most popular recipes on the blog which goes to prove that people really love to try good old fashioned traditional foods and recipes. When something ain't broke why mess with it. This is perfect just as it is.
Make Your Own Mixed Spice:
You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.
You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.
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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!
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