Showing posts with label Desserts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Desserts. Show all posts
The recipe I am sharing with you today is one I adapted from a recipe I found on a site called From the Larder. It is called Bramley Apple & Mincemeat Pudding.
It is perfect for this time of year, and in fact would make a lovely holiday dessert for Christmas or Boxing day.
At its base is a layer of Bramley cooking apples which are chopped and mixed with some lemon juice, zest and brown sugar . . . .
I think in North America you could use any good cooking apple in the place of Bramley.
Bramley Apples are fabulous cooking apples. Large, flattish round apples with a green skin and red blush these are fabulously tart apples.
They have a beautiful white flesh that cooks down into a frothy pulp which makes them ideal for cooking with. They make beautiful applesauce and crumbles.
They are incredibly tart however . . . I cannot see anyone ever being able to eat one raw without any sugar.
I remember making an apple pie with them when I first moved over here and it was soooooo sour!
They make really great Baked Apples also because they hold up well when baking, but the insides bcome lovely and frothy.
A good North American substitute for them would be a Granny Smith or a Gravenstein.
In any case a layer of these apples, chopped, gets spread out in a baking dish and topped with a sweet cake batter . . .
Its a pretty basic vanilla sponge, with equal parts fat, sugar and flour, with some leavening agents added and spoonsful of prepared mincemeat.
Over here you can get many different varieties of mincemeat this time of year . . . the store shelves are bulging with choice.
I would choose a good basic mincemeat, unless you have made your own.
Homemade is always the better choice and generally speaking I make my own each year. My recipe makes about a pound of mincemeat which is about enough to make 3 dozen mince pies/tarts.
Yield: 1 pound
*Homemade Mincemeat*
A delicious blend of dried fruit, nuts, spices, brown sugar and brandy. (I use apple juice)
ingredients:
150g of currants(1 cup)
125g of raisins (3/4 cup packed)
25g of blanched almonds, finely chopped (1/3 cup)
1 knob of preserved stem ginger, finely chopped
1 eating apple, peeled and grated
50g of shredded beef or vegetable suet (1/2 cup)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
the finely grated zest and juice of one lemon
2 TBS brandy
1 TBS dark muscovado sugar
125g of raisins (3/4 cup packed)
25g of blanched almonds, finely chopped (1/3 cup)
1 knob of preserved stem ginger, finely chopped
1 eating apple, peeled and grated
50g of shredded beef or vegetable suet (1/2 cup)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
the finely grated zest and juice of one lemon
2 TBS brandy
1 TBS dark muscovado sugar
instructions:
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside for at least 12 hours to macerate. Transfer to glass jars, seal and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. This will keep a good long while.
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Failing the desire to make your own, just use a good store brand. Six TBS of this gets stirred into the cake batter which is then spread over the chopped apple in the baking dish.
You pop it into the oven where it bakes until the apples are succulent and soft and the cake batter is all risen and golden brown.
Ready to be spooned out warm into bowls and topped with your favourite go-withs . . . warm custard (Todd's preference), pouring cream or scoops of a good Vanilla bean ice cream.
This is so very delicious. Pudding here is a name which is used to describe a dessert . . . and they come in many shapes and sizes and types from crumbles and bakes to cakes and stodgy steamed concoctions (Think Plum Pudding here) and everything in between.
Bread and Butter pudding is a real favourite here in this house as well as Sticky Toffee Pudding, and after today this pudding has become another favourite that I know I will be making often for my husband.
Its nothing short of delicious with that jammy apple on the bottom, that sweet spicy sponge on top and of course with the custard/cream or ice cream on top. Altogether, quite, quite delicious! You won't want to miss this!
Yield: Serves 6
Apple & Mincemeat Pudding
prep time: 15 minscook time: 45 minstotal time: 60 mins
If you are like me you have an abundance of mincemeat in your larder during the holidays. This is a very delicious way of using some of it. A light and fluffy spiced cake, studded with currants and raisins, baked atop sweetened chopped apple. Serve warm with custard, cream or ice cream.
ingredients:
2 large cooking apples, peeled and diced
the finely grated zest and juice from 1/2 lemon
2 TBS soft light brown sugar
150g butter, softened (2/3 cup)
150g caster sugar (fine granulated sugar, 3/4 cup)
3 large free range eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 TBS prepared mincemeat
150g plain flour (1 cup all purpose + 1 heaped TBS)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBS whole milk
You will also need:
1 tsp caster sugar for sprinkling
warm custard, single cream or ice cream to serveinstructions:
Preheat the oven to 170*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Butter a shallow baking dish. Set aside.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Mix together the apple, lemon zest and juice and brown sugar. Pour into the prepped baking dish.
Cream
together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs
one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and mincemeat. Stir in the flour
mixture just to combine. Stir in the milk. Pour the batter over the
apples in the dish. Spread out evenly.
together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs
one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and mincemeat. Stir in the flour
mixture just to combine. Stir in the milk. Pour the batter over the
apples in the dish. Spread out evenly.
Bake
for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the
centre comes out clean. Sprinkle the caster sugar over top just prior
to serving. Serve spooned out into bowls with your desired
accompaniment.
for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the
centre comes out clean. Sprinkle the caster sugar over top just prior
to serving. Serve spooned out into bowls with your desired
accompaniment.
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I will include my recipe for custard as well so you don't have to go hunting for it.
Yield: about 3 cups
Proper Custard
This is also known as creme anglaise. Be sure not to let the mixture boil once the eggs are added, or you will 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.
ingredients:
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
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
instructions:
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.
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.
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I think this is a dessert for the holidays that your family is really going to love. It is not complicated in the least and is sumptuously delicious. Delicious enough to serve as a light alternative to a heavy Christmas Pudding on Christmas Day!
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 visiting. Do come again!
Old Mother Rayner went to the cupboard to bake her poor hubby a pie.
When she got there the cupboard was bare, except for a couple of apples, some cornflakes, some butter and a bit of brown sugar and spice and so she did what was the next best thing. Poor Man's Apple Pie.
Not really, I just made that up, but when I came across this old, old recipe that is immediately what came to mind . . .
the wonderful thing that happens when opportunity, need and provenance meet together in a delicious way to create something the family will enjoy eating together.
This is what it looks like before you put it into the oven. Its not really a pie, but layers of thinly sliced apple, with a sprinkling of brown sugar, baking spices and cornflakes.
Oh, and butter. You dot each layer of cornflakes with some butter.
This is what it looks like when it comes out of the oven . . . the apples cook and get soft and almost melt down . . .
The butter and the brown sugar and the spice melt together, with the inner layer of cornflakes thickening up the juices . . .
The Top layer of cornflakes getting crisp and golden brown . . . and yes, slightly sweet and buttery, and lightly spiced . . .
Todd enjoyed his warm, out of the oven . . . with lashings of evaporated milk poured over top as I had no cream . . .
and during the war, when he was growing up, evaporated milk was the only cream-like thing they had to enjoy with their desserts . . . he likes evaporated milk. (Me, not so much. I am spoilt.)
For myself, I would enjoy this with ice cream. A nice ball of good vanilla ice cream.
I did not have more than a little taste of this however, just so I could tell you how good it was.
And it is good, very good . . .
Tart and sweet . . . lightly spiced . . . buttery and crunchy . . .
In short, pretty perfect!
I am really pleased that I took the opportunity to bake this. It sounded interesting and it sounded tasty, and it was very tasty. Very tasty indeed.
I don't think it will ever replace apple pie in the scheme of things, but it did make for a highly enjoyable dessert according to Todd.
Yield: 4-6
Poor Man's Apple Pie
prep time: 15 minscook time: 30 minstotal time: 45 mins
I strongly suspect this old, old recipe was born out of need. Layers of sliced apple cornflakes, brown sugar and butter. What can ever be wrong with that!
ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds eating apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
corn flakes
soft light brown sugar
a bit of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
butter to dot
Pouring cream to serveinstructions:
ready a medium sized deep baking dish. Butter the dish. Start layering
in as follows: Sliced apple, cornflakes, a dessertspoon of soft light
brown sugar sprinkled over all, some cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and
dotted butter. Repeat until all your apples are used up and ending with
cornflakes, sugar, seasoning and butter. Bake in the preheated oven
for 25 to 30 minutes until the apples are soft. Spoon out into bowls and
serve with some pouring cream.
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Quick, easy, simple and delicious. This ticks all the boxes. Bon Appetit!
Oh by the way, what did you think of the Bake Off? I was thrilled with the results. I called it from the very beginning. I did think that the technical challenge was a really nasty one. Baking Pita Breads and three dips with no work stand and only an open fire.
I told my husband as I was watching it, "And that is why I would never go on GBBO!" In the heat, with the sun beating down on them. I was not at all surprised that everyone's ended up being rubbish! It was a no win challenge!
A while back I had bought a Lemon Panettone at Costco. I adore Panettone and I absolutely adore lemon . . . it had to be good! How could I resist!
Fluffy and sweet, riddled with lemon cream and studded with bits of candied peel, it had to be good right? Wrong. Well, I wasn't exactly fond of it anyways, which says a lot as I am a true blue lover of all things lemon. It was fluffy and sweet, and there was lemon cream throughout it . . . but the lemon peel. I did not like the lemon peel. The texture and taste jarred with my taste buds.
I knew Todd wouldn't go for it either. He is not fond of lemon anything at all, and if I didn't like it he was highly unlikely to either. He does, however, adore a good bread and butter pudding. Of all the desserts I think it is one of his favourites.
I have made bread and butter puddings with the leftover Panettone at Christmas, many times . . . so it was not much of a stretch to make one with this panettone. I just followed the same recipe as I always use.
With fresh butter, free range eggs and whole milk and rich cream . . .
I added vanilla and orange extracts . . . and a tiny bit of sugar.
Slices of the panettone were buttered and cut up and layered in a dish . . . .
I poured the custard over and then I baked the pudding in the oven in a bain marie, which is a fancy way of saying that you put the dish into a roasting pan and add hot water to come partway up the sides of your pudding dish . . . ie. a hot water bath. Make sure your roasting tin is easy to put into and take out of the oven. I have made that mistake before, and transferring it can be a tiny bit awkward. I now use a roasting tin with handles whenever I use this method.
This is the best method for cooking delicate dishes such as this, without breaking or curdling them. Its a simple thing, but very effective. Your pudding will be done when it is golden brown, and mostly set with just a slight wobble in the centre.
Once it was baked, I let it cool a bit and then dusted it with icing sugar to serve. It was sooooo pretty all done up in this winter-like coat . . .
Its like putting on a bit of lippy . . . it just lifts the appearance and the mood.
Served warm and wobbly, spooned into bowls with dollops of softly whipped double cream on top . . .
This was absolutely flippingly delicious!
So delicious that now I am going to have to go and buy another Lemon Panettone before Christmas so that we can have this again.
And that's the truth. The leftovers are awfully tasty served cold with a spoon right out of the refrigerator. Just saying . . .
Yield: 4
Lemon Panettone Pudding
prep time: 15 minscook time: 35 minstotal time: 50 mins
We were not exactly fond of the Lemon Panettone as a Panettone, but it sure made a wonderful bread pudding! Rich and delicious.
ingredients:
50g butter softened (3 1/2 TBS)
5 thick slices of Lemon Panettone
2 large free range eggs, lightly beaten
142ml double cream (5 fluid ounces, whipping cream)
225ml whole milk (scant cup)
1/2 tsp orange extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBS fine granulated sugar
icing sugar to dust
Lightly whipped cream to serve (optional)
instructions:
Preheat the oven to 165*C/325*F/gas mark 2. Butter a shallow baking dish and set aside. (Should hold 1 1/2 pints or 3 cups)
Butter your slices of Panettone on one side, and then cut into chunks. Place into the buttered baking dish, butter side up.
Whisk together the cream, eggs, milk, extracts and sugar. Pour over the bread in the baking dish.
Have
ready a large shallow roasting tin. Place the dish of Panettone into
it and fill the roast tin to half way up the sides of the pudding dish.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the pudding is
golden brown and just set. It should still be yellow inside and a tiny
bit jiggly.
ready a large shallow roasting tin. Place the dish of Panettone into
it and fill the roast tin to half way up the sides of the pudding dish.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the pudding is
golden brown and just set. It should still be yellow inside and a tiny
bit jiggly.
Dust with icing sugar and serve warm with dollops of lightly whipped cream if desired.
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You can also very easily cut this recipe in half. I did with great results. I do that with most everything I cook these days. With there only being two of us in the house, it only makes sense. Bon Appetit!
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