One day a few weeks back I was talking to my mother on the phone and somehow the conversation got around to pies, as they do . . . ☺



My mother always made the best pies going. When pie was on the menu, everyone in our family was a happy camper . . . and it didn't matter if it was a sweet pie or a savoury pie. All her pies were great!!



When I was 13, she had to go away for a weekend and she left me in charge of the kitchen. I had to do all the meals which was no problem. She had left a homemade Turkey Pot Pie for one of the meals. I thought I had divided it up equally amongst everyone . . . but I was accused of having taken the largest piece for myself, which I strongly denied, but which in retrospect I probably did! Isn't that the cooks prerogative??? (I was doing all the work, even if it was only heating it up and cutting it into servings!!!)



Anyways, back to our conversation and pies . . . we got to talking about blueberry pies. When I first moved over here to the UK, you could not find a blueberry for love nor money. Having grown up with an abundance of wild blueberries, they were something that I really, really missed over here. I was so happy when they started to appear in the shops. They may not be wild and they may come mostly from Poland (although more and more are being grown here), but I just love them, and they are so good for you!



My mom was saying that her mother (my grandmother) always used to make the custard variety of blueberry pie and I was intrigued when I thought about it afterwards . . . how delicious it sounded . . . blueberry custard pie . . . wowser, wowser!



I've been thinking about it ever since and today I came up with this tasty little gem. You don't have to use blueberries with it . . . you could use just about any type of berry you want, or a combination of several different types. Blueberries were what I had today though, and Blueberry Custard Pie was what I was dreaming of, and so that is what I made, in honor of my dear late grandmother.



It was fabulous! I think I have found a new ♥ favourite ♥ kind of blueberry pie! It may even become your ♥ favourite ♥ kind of blueberry pie. You never know! (Ice cream would go very well with this, but I didn't have any . . . sigh . . . )



*Berry Custard Pie*Makes one 9 inch pie
Printable Recipe

A delicious berry pie layered with berries, custard and a vanilla streusel on top!

You will need:
your favourite pastry recipe to line one 9 inch glass pie dish

For the Filling:
1 oz plain flour (1/4 cup)
10 ounces sugar (1 1/2 cup)
450g of berries (blueberries, raspberries, currants) about 3 cups
2 large free range eggs, beaten lightly
170g tin of evaporated milk (NOT sweetened condensed) (6 fluid ounces)
1/2 tsp vanilla

For the Streusel:
1.5 ounces of plain flour (1/3 cup flour)
3.5 ounces sugar (1/2 cup)
2 ounces butter, cut into bits (1/4 cup)
1/4 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line a 9 inch glass pie dish with your pastry, trimming and crimping the edges to please.

Put the berries into the crust. Whisk together the flour and sugar for the filling to mix. Sprinkle this evenly over the berries, stirring them up a bit to mix. Beat together the eggs, evaporated milk and vanilla. Pour this evenly over top of the berries and flour mixture.

Rub the streusel ingredients together until they resemble coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the berry filling.

Bake for about 1 hour in the heated oven until the pie is golden brown and set and the crust is nicely crisped.

Allow to cool at least two hours before serving. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

.Oh my . . . it is the most delicious cake. All buttery and moist, and studded with sweet yet tart black currants . . . 

 

I popped into the local Tesco store the other day for a loaf of bread and a quart of milk and ended up walking out with a bag filled with berries and clotted cream.



You know those recipe cards that grocery shops have scattered here and there throughout the store??? Well, this one in particular caught my eye, and there was nothing for it but to pick up the ingredients and make it when I got home!



Of course theirs looked a lot better than mine did when it was done. (That's their picture up at the very top) It tasted fabulous though!



Every mouthful was rich and buttery and very fruity!



Of course Todd had extra cream on top of his . . . he is so lucky. He can eat whatever he wants and never gains an ounce . . . me . . . well this spoonful you see here below . . . that was all I had of it. I didn't dare have anymore than this. It was soooooo good!




*Berry Slump with Clotted Cream*
Serves 8
Printable Recipe

Scrummy fruit dessert topped with clotted cream and a tasty batter.

1 (250g) punnet of blueberries ( 1/2 pound)
1 (250g) punnet of blackberries (1/2 pound)
2 (150g) punnets of raspberries (1/2 pound plus 1/8 pound)
2 TBS sugar

For the topping:
3 1/2 ounces butter (1/4 cup plus 3 TBS)
5 ounces self raising flour (1 generous cup)
3 1/2 ounces sugar (1/2 cup)
few drops vanilla
150ml of milk (3 fluid ounces)
1 (227g) tub of clotted cream (1 cup)
1 TBS demerara sugar

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Tip all the berries into a 2 1/2 pint baking dish. Sprinkle with the 2 TBS of sugar. Place into the oven while you make the topping.

Put the butter, flour and sugar into a food processor, along with the vanilla and enough milk to make a soft spoonable consistency, without making it too runny.

Take the dish of fruit out of the oven and spoon dollops of clotted cream on top of the berries. Spoon the batter over top of the clotted cream. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Bake for 25 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the berries are bubbling.

The people from Shrewd PR representing Eddingtons sent me some of their newest summer range of goods to test out the other day. I love it when that happens! I have had a lot of fun trying everything out.



First up was a lovely set of glass cruets . . . 4 in the beautifully shaped Firenze pattern and 4 in the Venezia pattern. Both came in a lovely assortment of colours . . . ruby red, pale yellow, bottle blue and light green. Not only are they beautiful to look at, but very useful as well. They have lovely pouring spouts and seals . . . just perfect for taking cold drinks on a picnic or for use as vinegar and oil cruets on the salad table! I just love them.



Included as well was this lovely Salad Spinner by Tovolo! Not only is it quite large in size, holding 5 quarts of salad leaves etc., but it is collapsible!! Yes, you are not imagining things. I did say that . . . it's completely collapsible.



Here it is flat! Only about 3 inches tall, and very easy to store, not taking up much space at all! That means a lot to me in my kitchen as I have very little storage space, so anything that doesn't take up a lot of room makes me happy.



It very quickly pops out into a full size salad spinner! Very attractive!! Some other features are:

1. Effortlessly fast spinning - does the job efficiently and quickly
2. Pull-string handle with in-built brake mechanism
3. Bowl makes an attractive salad server, too
4. Good quality, robust item which is built to last



It is very easy to use. The pull toggle is effortless and the button for stopping the spinning works really well also. I really, really like it!! I love Tovolo everything! Real quality stuff! I like the funky green colour as well. I tried to take a movie of me spinning it, but . . . it's hard to pull the cord and press record on my camera at the same time. It just wasn't happening!

They also sent some lovely Tovolo Ice Lolly Molds.

The Jewel Pop Molds are not only cute but fun as well. They look like big diamond rings. I just know the kiddies will love iced treats made in these!



I made some little adult type of Watermelon ices in them for today. You could do any flavour you want and they are just a nice small size and so fun to wear!



*Minted Watermelon Pops*
Makes 8
Printable Recipe

Easy to make, low in fat and beautifully refreshing!

1 1/2 pound of seedless watermelon, rind removed and flesh cut into 1 inch dice
2 TBS sugar
a handful of mint leaves, minced (about 1/4 cup)
2 tsp finely grated fresh lemon zest
pinch salt

Place the melon and sugar into a blender. Blitz until smooth. Stir in the mint, lemon zest and salt. Pour the puree into 8 popsicle molds and freeze until hard, about 3 hours. Use within a week.

They also sent a set of Ice Cream Pops freeze molds. They are so cute! They look just like Ice Cream Cones!



I did some really fun frozen Yogurt pops in them! They turned out really nice too! I did layers with the top layer being apricot and the bottom layer, summer berries. They can be low fat as well, especially if you use the low fat yogurt.



*Fruity Frozen Yogurt Pops*
Makes 8
Printable Recipe

Creamy and refreshing and good for you too, especially if you use low fat yogurt!

1 cup of fresh ripe fruit, chopped ( nectarines, mango, pineapple, strawberries, kiwi, etc.)
12 fluid ounces of plain yogurt ( 1 1/2 cups. I like Greek)
3 fluid ounces of liquid honey (1/3 cup)
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth. Pour into 8 popsicle (ice lolly) molds. Insert sticks and then freeze for 4 hours until frozen solid.

Note: I like to use two kinds of fruit, so I divide everything in half and the fruit in half as well, blitzing twice, once with half the ingredients and one type of fruit, and then the second time with the other half of the ingredients and another type of fruit. I then layer them into the popsicle molds. Top with the lids and freeze.

I was a little concerned that they might be difficult to release, but both types released very easily and I ended up with perfect ice lollies! I was most impressed!

Each mold can be reoved separately, so you can enjoy one pop at a time, and the built in drips guards put an end to sticky fingers!

So you can see I am all set now for some summer fun! Many thanks to the people at Eddingtons and Shrewd PR for allowing me try these lovely things out! I was very impressed with everything and highly recommend!

I had in mind all week that I was going to make a Pavlova. Food of the God's is Pavlova . . . all light and airy and somehow when you are eating it, you kind of are misguided into thinking there are no calories . . . coz it's kind of like eating a cloud, right??? And everyone knows that clouds have no calories!



I normally top my Pavlova with peaches or raspberries, but this today I decided to do something quite, quite different. I had some apples that needed using and I thought to myself . . . how about a Pavlova that has all the elements of an Apple Crumble . . . and then I thought to myself, who not go one step further and make it an Apple and Blackberry Crumble.



Imagine it . . . a soft cloud of crisp on the outside, mallow like on the inside meringue . . . filled with a rich cloud of softly whipped cream . . .



Now . . . top that cloud with a sweet/tart mixture of caramelized and slightly spiced apples mixed with fresh blackberries . . .



Finally . . . top the whole thing with scrummily sugared, flaked and toasted almonds . . . this is genius, pure culinary genius.



Sigh . . . this is the food of the Gods, all light and ethereal . . . and totally calorie free, I am sure of it!!!



Shhhh . . . please don't burst my bubble! Sigh . . . I do so love it when I am inspired to push the boundaries of the traditional and create something totally familiar and at the same time totally new and refreshing!!



*Apple and Blackberry Crumble Pavlova*
Serves 8
Printable Recipe

All your favourite flavours in one scrummy dessert!

For the Meringue:
3 large free range egg whites
6 ounces caster sugar (a scant cup)
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp white wine vinegar

For the Filling:
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 TBS butter
2 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
pinch salt
1 punnet of blackberries (about 1 cup)

300ml of double cream (1 1/4 cups)

For the sugared almond topping:
1 1/2 ounces flaked almonds
2 TBS caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 130*C/260*F/ gas mark 1/2. Trace out a 7 inch circle on a sheet of baking paper. Place the baking paper on top of a baking sheet. Set aside.

Place the egg whites into a clean, grease free, glass or metal bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add half of the sugar and continue to beat until the egg whites are stiff and glossy. Slowly beat in the remaining sugar (reserving 1 TBS) until it is all amalgamated. Stir the cornflour and remaining sugar together and beat that in along with the vinegar, beating it for about a minute. Spoon the meringue mixture out onto the baking paper, spreading it with a metal spoon to fill the circle and scooping it somewhat hollow in the centre, creating a raised edge all around.

Place iinto the heated oven and bake for about 1 hour, until crisp on the outside and mallow like on the inside. Set aside to cool on the baking tray. Once completely cooled, carefully peel off the baking paper and set the meringue onto a plate.

For the filling, place the apples, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into a small skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally over medium high heat, until the apples are somewhat softened and beginning to caramelize, but still holding their shape. Stir in the blackberries and set aside to cool completely.

Make the sugared almond topping by placing the almonds into a skillet along with the sugar. (Have a sheet of baking paper ready and waiting on the counter.) Cook and stir over medium high heat until the sugar melts and begins to coat the almonds, some 2 to 3 minutes. Take care not to burn the sugar. Remove from the heat immediately and pour the almonds out onto the baking paper, spreading them out as much as you can. Allow to cool completely.

When ready to assemble whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Spoon this into the centre of the meringue. Spoon the apple and blackberry mixture over top along with all their juices. Sprinkle with the candied almonds and serve immediately. Delicious!

I've been having a bad day today . . . the wind blew the roof to our shed away last night, it blew our fence over, Mitzie chewed through our ethernet cable during the night . . . and I am missing my friend Angie so very much.



My eyes keep filling up with tears and my heart is aching. I think it is the missing of Angie that is bothering me most of all. She has left a big hole . . . I need hugs, and comfort. I need to crawl into my mama's lap and feel her patting me on the back and telling me it will all be ok . . .



Alas, I live too far away for that, and I fear that even if I lived closer my girth would squash her flat . . .



This is the next best thing to a mother's lap.



Rhubarb and custard . . . the rhubarb roasted until just softened, in a mixture of sugar and orange . . . all pink and sweetly tart . . . earthy. The custard . . . rich, steeped in vanilla . . . eggy and milky and oh-so-comforting.



The two together are bliss . . . my favourite boiled sweets, in a little glass bowl.



Angie would have loved this . . .




*Roasted Rhubarb with Proper Custard*
Serves 4

Simple and old fashioned yes, but there's nothing old fashioned about it's lovely flavour. I have chosen to use orange and ginger to flavour my rhubarb here, but you can use whatever strikes your fancy . . . vanilla, anise, rose water . . .

2 pounds of rhubarb, washed,
trimmed and cut into 3 inch lengths
4 to 6 TBS caster sugar
the finely grated zest and juice of two large oranges
1 TBS finely grated fresh ginger root
custard (see below)

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Place the rubarb into a retangular roasting tin. Sprinkle with 4 TBS of the sugar, the ginger, orange zest and the orange juice. Give it a toss. Roast in the heated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, just until the rhubarb has softened, depending on how thick the stalks of rhubarb are. The rhubarb should be knife tender. remove from the oven. Taste and add the additional sugar if you feel it is needed.
Set aside to cool.

*Custard*
Serves 4 to 6

Proper custard is not all that hard to make if you follow a few rules!

500ml of full fat milk (2 cups)
563 ml of double cream (2 1/4 cups)
6 TBS caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, sliced in half lengthwise and the seeds scraped out
or 1 tsp of vanilla paste
8 large free range egg yolks

Place the milk, cream, half of the sugar and the vanilla pod, seeds or paste into a saucepan. Bring just to the boil, then remove from the heat and allow to sit for several minutes in order for the vanilla to infuse.

Whisk the egg yolks together with the remaining sugar until light in colour. Whisk in a bit of the hot milk mixture, then add the remaining milk mixture, whisking continuously. Strain this mixture back into the saucepan, removing the vanilla pod. (This can be rinsed, dried and stuck into your sugar jar, where it will make your sugar smell gorgeous and impart some vanilla flavour as well.)

Cook and stir over a very gentle heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, cooking just until the mixture thickens and begins to coat the back of the spoon. Remove from the heat immediately. It should be lump free, but if you do have a few, simply restrain it into a clean jug.

Serve hot or cold.

To serve the rhubarb and custard, divide the cooked rhubarb into individual serving dishes and ladle the warm custard over top. Delicious!