I've had a half eaten jar of mincemeat languishing in the back of my refrigerator since Christmas, and I thought I had better get it used up, but we didn't really feel like mince pies . . . by the time Christmas is over we've had enough of them to be honest!



I could have made a teabread with it of course . . . but I didn't really feel like that either . . .



I wanted a rich and stodgy pudding . . . something that I could eat with a spoon, somewhere between a cake and pudding . . . but baked, not steamed.



I decided to make a variation on an Eve's Pudding, a traditional pudding found over here with a fruity base and almond cake topping.




You can find my traditional Eve's Pudding recipe here, and a Cranberry version here. As you can tell, we love Eve's Pudding!



I combined a mixture of cooked Bramley apple, along with some cranberries and the leftover mincemeat, and then topped it with a buttery almondy frangipane batter. Oh my . . . but this is some good. The tartness of the bramley apple and cranberries, offset the sweetness of the mincemeat just perfectly . . . each mouthful is wonderfully buttery, and sweet and tart at the same time.



Oh-so-good served warm with some pouring cream over top. In short . . . we completely adored this delicious pud! It was incredibly moreish and satisfying.



Spicy Cranberry, Mincemeat and Almond Eve's Pudding*
Serves 4 to 6 depending on appetites
Printable Recipe

The perfect way to use up that half eaten jar of mincemeat lanquishing in the back of your refrigerator!

1 large cooking apple, peeled, cored and chopped
2 TBS water
200g of mincemeat (a generous cup)
100g of cranberries, frozen or fresh (1 cup)
100g of butter (7/8 cup)
100g of golden caster sugar (1/2 cup)
2 large eggs, beaten
75g of self raising flour (2/3 cup)
25g of ground almonds (1/3 cup)
a small handful of flaked toasted almonds

Cream to serve

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Have ready a shallow 11 by 7 baking dish. Set aside.

Place the apple in a pot with the water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer, cover and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the mincemeat and cranberries. Pour into the baking dish, leveling out.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Sift in the flour and stir in along with the almonds. Spread this mixture over top of the fruit in the baking dish. Level off and then sprinkle with the flaked almonds.

Bake for 3-0 to 35 minutes, until the topping is well risen and golden brown, and the fruit is bubbling beneath. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes then, serve warm with some pouring cream. Delicious!

As you all must know by now, I live in Chester, which is right on the doorstep of Wales. In fact, the Welsh border is but a five minute walk from my home. I love that, coz I love Wales!! It's beautiful, quaint and very rustically rural in many places.



When we lived in Kent and wanted to go to the seaside we would go to either Hastings or Eastbourned and we loved them. Up here we like to go to Prestatyn, which is not as big as the more popular seasides, but again . . . it's not as crowded either. Down in Kent I would have opted for chips or ice cream as a seaside treat . . . but here in Wales, it's Bara Brith . . . EVERY time!



Also known as "Speckled Bread," Bara Brith can either be a yeast bread enriched with dried fruit or something like a quick bread/cake made with self-rising flour. Traditionally using vine fruits and candied peel, it involves soaking the fruit mixture overnight in hot tea. I generally always opt for the quick bread/cake one as it stores a lot longer, whereas the yeast version needs to be eaten pretty much right away.



This particular version is very low in fat as well, as there is no butter involved at all in it's creation . . .which leaves one free to totally indulge in spreading it with lots of cold butter when it's warm from the oven, or when it's cold for that matter, with a clear conscience!!

Bara Brith and a hot cup of tea, herbal or otherwise. It's a good thing.



*Bara Brith*
Makes one 2 pound loaf
Printable Recipe

The quick bread version of a traditional Welsh cake using whole wheat flour, vine fruits, chopped peel and soft brown sugar. Low in fat, high in pleasure. Eat sliced and spread with softened butter. Delicious! Plan ahead as the fruit needs to soak overnight.

4 ounces dried currents (1 scant cup)
2 ounces raisins (1 scant half cup)
2 ounces chopped mixed peel (1/3 cup)
(chop your own)
400ml of hot strong tea (1 3/4 cup approx.)
12 ounces self raising whole wheat flour (3 cups)
4 ounces of soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup packed)
1 large free range egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp mixed spice ( a blend of sweet spices, see column on right side of page)

Weight your fruit out and place it into a bowl. Cover with the hot tea and leave to sit overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 5. Butter a 2 pound loaf tin and line with baking paper. Butter the paper.

Whisk together the flour, brown sugar and mixed spice in a bowl. Drain the fruit, reserving the soaking juices. Stir this into the flour mixture to coat. Add the beaten egg and enough of the soaking liquid to make a soft batter. Spread into the prepared pan, evening off the top.

Bake for 45 minutes, until risen and firm to the touch. A toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean. Remove from the oven to a wire rack to cool. Allow to cool for ten minutes in the pan before removing to finish cooling completely. Store in an airtight container.

The cold was our pride, the snow was our beauty. It fell and fell, lacing day and night together in a milky haze, making everything quieter as it fell, so that winter seemed to partake of religion in a way no other season did . . . hushed . . . solemn.
~Patricia Hampl



oh winter . . . winter . . . these bitterly cold days that make one want to cling to the warmth of the hearth . . . and all the comforts of home . . .



There is something about the chill of winter that makes things like hearty stews, soups and desserts taste much better than they do at any other time of year . . . they truly warm the soul and comfort the heart.



My spoon dips beneath the crisp oaty sweet and buttery crumble, to find hidden beneath . . . the softness of autumn apples and berries, tart and lightly sweetened with some sugar . . . having been tucked away and kept for just such a moment . . .



The moment my heart would need a whisper of sunshine days gone past . . . and the promise of harvests yet to come . . .

My spoon glides beneath the earthy sweetness of the fruits . . . and the milky sweet blanket of custard, and I am home . . . sweet . . . home.



*Apple, Blackberry and Oat Crumble*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

A delicious crumble with a scrummy brown sugar oaty crumble topping!

3 to 4 large cooking apples, peeled and cut into chunks
1 TBS water
3 TBS granulated sugar
200g of fresh or frozen blackberries (about 1 cup)

For the crumble topping:
5 ounces plain flour (a generous cupful)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 ounces butter, chilled and cubed (approx 1/3 cup)
1 ounce porridge oats (1/3 cup)
3 ounces soft light brown sugar (scant 1/2 cup, packed)

Custard, ice cream, or whipped cream to serve



Butter a 1 litre pie dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.

Place the apples in a saucepan along with the water and sugar. Set over gentle heat and cook, stirring every few minutes, until the apples become a soft pulp. Taste and add more sugar if needed. Set aside to cool slightly. Spoon half the apples into the baking dish. Sprinkle with half the blackberries. Repeat with the remaining fruit.

To make the crumble topping. Stir the flour and cinnamon together in a bowl. Rub in the butter with your finger tips until coarsely crumbled. Stir in the oats and brown sugar. Sprinkle this crumb mixture evenly over top. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes until cooked and golden brown. Serve warm with whipped cream, ice cream or custard.

Funny . . . the traditions we hang on to . . . like the apple being the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden . . . and Eve being responsible for the fall of mankind . . .



Oh well . . . it all makes for a scrumdiddly pudding.



Eve's Pudding was not something I had ever heard of before I came over here to live. One night the cook at the care home I worked at when I first came here made it for the residents one night . . . I never got to taste it, but the name intrigued me! It wasn't long before I was looking it up and finding out how to make it.




You can find my recipe for regular Eve's Pudding here. And, mighty tasty it is too!



This is a slight variation on that theme . . . you all know how I like to grab the ball and then run with it. I can never leave well enough alone. I've added some tasty cranberries to the mix. They give it a slight tartness and lots of colour.



Oh my but it's some delicious, and very seasonal. I alway buy up bags of cranberries when they hit the shops before Christmas, and then I throw them into the freezer so that I have these tasty little berries to use whenever the mood hits.



They're not just for sauce you know! (I think you can buy them in the freezer section of Waitrose as well. Not sure about the other shops) I love using them in tasty quick breads and they make a scrumptious pie too.



This is my favourite way of using them though . . . sweet and tart, topped with a moist sponge and then served up warm with lashings of warm custard. That's a must!!




*Cranberry Eves Pudding*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

A slightly different version from the traditional Eve's Pudding. Easy Peazy, and oh so scrummy yummy! Lashings of warm custard are a given!

1 1/2 pounds cooking apples, peeled, quartered,
cored and cut into thick slices
4 ounces frozen cranberries
3 ounces of caster sugar (a scant 1/2 cup)
1 TBS water

Topping:
4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature (1/2 cup)
4 ounces of caster sugar (a generous half cup)
2 large free range eggs
4 ounces self raising flour (a scant 1 cup)
2 TBS fresh orange juice
the grated zest of one small orange

Icing Sugar for dusting
Warm custard, or cream for serving

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.

Place the apples and cranberries into a 2 1/2 pint baking dish, at least 2 inches deep. Sprinkle the caster sugar over top along with the water. Place into the heated oven and allow to cook for about ten minutes while you make the topping.

To make the topping measure all the ingredients into a bowl and then whisk together until smooth with an electric whisk. Remove the fruit from the oven and spread this batter evenly over top. Return to the oven and cook for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown and the top springs back when lightly touched.

Dust with icing sugar and serve warm with custard or cream.

Note - You could also use Blackberries, in which case I would use lemon zest and juice in the cake batter instead of orange! Equally as scrumptious!!

The sun is shining and, although cool, it's a really beautiful day. Funny how a spot of sunshine can just lift the soul!!

I wanted to make something sweet for our dessert tonight, but as I had a roast in the oven I wasn't really able to bake anything and I was sadly lacking in a lot of other ingredients as well . . . so puddings and such were kind of out of the picture . . .



And then I stumbled upon a recipe for fritter batter in an old shaker cookbook of mine. I think a lot of the shaker's were English Immigrants so . . . it kinda goes with an English Kitchen, does it not?



I think it does anyways, and I happen to know that Banana Fritters are a very popular dish over here!



Of course I don't do anything half way as you know . . . I like to try to put my own stamp on things and to push the edge a little bit and so . . .



I didn't just make banana fritters . . . I made apple fritters and plum fritters too. And then I spied a lone tomato in the basket and thought . . . hmmm . . . tomato fritters. Fabulous! And then coz there was a little bit of batter left I grabbed a little bunch of grapes and thought why the heck not! So in they went also!

They were all pretty special. Tomatoes are a vine fruit, as are grapes, and they both really went down wonderfully, well dusted with cinnamon sugar.



The banana was sweet and sticky and oh so very delicious with some Maple Syrup, likewise the apple, but I am thinking next time (and there will deffo be a next time) I am going to go whole hog and make a toffee sauce!

Oh how wonderful cooking is when you aren't afraid to push the envelope a bit!

This is another recipe I had flagged in the October issue of Good Food magazine. We love Cream of Cauliflower Soup, and Cauliflower cheese is another favourite of ours.



Its also safe to say we absolutely adore Cauliflower Cheese soup! It's like all of your Christmas's have come at once!



When I saw this recipe I knew that I wanted to make it. It combines two of our loves, Cauliflower and Cheese along with a tangy sweet pear relish!



The picture in the magazine looked so pretty.



Gorgonzola can be a pretty intense flavour . . . but so can cauliflower. The two together blended very well . . .



To keep it from being totally overwhelming and adding another layer of delicious flavours the Pear Relish adds some colour and extra texture.

This is a soup I would happily serve to guests as a first course at a dinner party. As we were eating it I thought also that my ex boss would have loved this as a first course at one of her parties. It was so pretty and the flavour was outstanding!!



Not to mention you have the added pleasure of some extra pear relish to enjoy on another day with perhaps some crusty bread and sliced cheese. Mmmm . . . mmmm . . . mmmighty good!



*Cauliflower Soup with Gorgonzola and a Pickled Pear Relish*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Cauliflower Cheese soup with a difference. An unusual but delicious combination of flavours and textures.

For the soup:
1 medium head of cauliflower
small knob of unsalted butter
2 small cooking onions, peeled and finely chopped
5 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
1 litre of vegetable stock (3 1/2 cups)
(I use Marigold stock powder)
9 ounces of Gorgonzola cheese
100ml tub of creme fraiche (1/2 cup approx.)

For the Pear Relish:
2 TBS dried cranberries
1 TBS dried currants
2 firm, ripe conference pears (Bosc)
1 sweet eating apple
a knob of unsalted butter
75ml (3 fluid ounces) cider vinegar
2 TBS sugar
3 sprigs of thyme (preferably lemon thyme if available)
1 stick of cinnamon

Trim the cauliflower, discarding the outer leaves. Break into florets. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and sweat them gently over low heat for about 5 minutes, until softened and translucent. Add the cauliflower and allow to sweat for a few minutes. Add the thyme, bay leaves and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Pour over the stock and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft. Crumble in the cheese. Stir to melt and then whisk in the creme fraiche. Remove the bay leaves and any thyme stocks. Whiz with a hand blender until really smooth. If you wish you can pass it through a seive to make sure it is completely smooth. Return to the stove and keep warm. Taste and season as required.

To make the relish. (you can make this while the soup is cooking) Place the dried cranberries and currants in a small bowl. Cover with boiled water and allow to sit for about 10 minutes. While they are softening. Core and chop the pears and apple into small bits. (I do not bother to pare the skin away. It adds texture to the finished product.)

Melt the butter in a medium pan over low heat. Once it begins to foam add the fruit. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes until it begins to soften. Add all the remaining ingredients. Cook over medium low heat for a further 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste. Remove the cinnamoon stick and thyme stems. The relish should have a shiny jewel like appearance.

Serve the soup ladled out into hot soup plates garnished with a little pear relish. Grind pepper over top if desired. I like to sprinkle a few thyme leaves over all, but it's not necessary. It does look nice though. Parsley would do the same thing.

You can keep the relish in a covered sterile jar in the refrigerator for about a month, or in a covered bowl for about a week. Very nice with sliced cold meats and cheese.

Ginger and pears are a beautiful combination . . . the pears sweet and lucious, the ginger fiery and hot . . .



I found this scrummy old fashioned pudding recipe in one of my cookbooks the other day, Good Old Fashioned Puddings, by Sarah Paston Williams and published by the National Trust.



It is chock filled with beautiful old fashioned recipes for delicious desserts and teatime treats, guaranteed to please most people! This tasty gingerbread like pudding recipe called out to me from the start!



I am an old fashioned gal with an old fashioned husband, so you just know that this tasty delight went down a real treat with us.



So perfectly autumnal . . . with fresh pears and warm spices . . . toasty walnuts, cherries and sweet sugar and treacle . . . both kinds golden and dark . . . the end result more like a cake than a pudding, with a rich toffee topping pooled around the fruit and nuts . . . the cake all rich and gingerbready beneath that fruity decadence.



Lashings of custard or cream are a must! We chose to have extra thick double spooning cream with ours.



Oh my . . . but it was some good . . . three hours later, and I am finding the leftover's hard to resist . . . I keep going into the kitchen and cutting off tiny slivers . . .

Oh I am a glutton . . .



*Gingerbread and Pear Upside-down Pudding*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

I am told this was very popular in Victorian days. I don't know about that, but I can tell you that it's very, very good!

1 3/4 ounces of butter (scant 1/4 cup)
70g of soft light brown sugar (about 1/3 cup packed)
3 firm pears
6 glace cherries
walnut halves

For the cake:
4 ounces butter (1/2 cup)
70g of slft light brown sugar (about 1/3 cup packed)
4 ounces black treacle (1/2 cup)
4 ounces golden syrup (1/2 cup)
(You can use 1 cup of mild molasses)
225g of plain flour (a generous 2 cups)
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of ground cloves
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 level teaspoon of baking soda
150ml of warm full fat milk (scant 2/3 cup)
2 large free range eggs

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch round deep baking tin. Line the bottom and sides with greaseproof paper. Melt the butter for the topping in a saucepan along with the brown sugar and stir for a few minutes to dissolve. Pour into the bottom of the tin. Peel, halve and core the pears. Put a glace cherry in the middle of each and then place cut side down into the brown sugar mixture in the baking pan, with stalk ends facing the centre. Place walnut halves in between the pears.

Put the butter for the cake bit in a larger saucepan. Melt together with the brown sugar, treacle and syrup. Whisk in the salt, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and soda. Whisk in the eggs and milk and then the flour until you get a smooth batter. Pour this batter carefully over top of the pears in the tin. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until well risen and firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow to shrink a little before turning out onto a warm serving plate. Carefully remove the paper. Serve warm with custard, or cream.