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Usually at the weekend, I like to pull the boat out a bit and bake us something nice for our breakfast. It could be muffins or scones, or even a nice tea bread or breakfast cake. Today I baked us this lovely Twisty Fruity Bread!
Its GIVEAWAY time! To celebrate the launch of my new book THE BEST OF BRITISH BAKING, I'm giving away a copy!
To enter for your chance to win, just leave a comment below in the comments section at the end of this blog post. Giveaway ends on Friday the 24th of December at 12 noon Atlantic Standard time and no entries after that time will be considered. The Winner will be announced later that day (the 24th December) just in time for Christmas!
If you haven't already ordered your copy you can find more about it and get one here: CLICK HERE
At the moment it is available instantly via Kindle, or you can pre-order a hard copy which will be available for salt on the 28th of December!
Thank you very much Sue. You made my day!!
Thanks so much Myra! You also made my day!!
I've also had some nice positive feedback from several colleagues of mine:
“Marie Rayner, former private chef, shares delicious British recipes for breads, cakes, biscuits, and scones. With helpful hints and photos that look mouthwatering throughout the book, you'll want to jump right in and bake all of the delicious recipes. I found favourite recipes from my childhood that brought back wonderful memories. Whether you are British or not, this book will be a fantastic addition to your cookery bookshelf.” —Linda Grant
“Out of hundreds of baking books out there, this one really stands out. The Best of British Baking will not only help people like myself who don't know much about baking, but it will also be an invaluable source of information for competent bakers. Marie brings a wealth of knowledge and baking ability—all in all, this is a book that everyone should own.” —Jan Bennett, food blogger at A Glug of Oil
This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and over only.
Entries must be received by Friday December 24th, 2021, at 12:00 Noon AST. One winner will be chosen at random from the comments left below prior to the contest closing, later on the same day, Friday December 24th, 2021.
No purchase necessary. Estimated retail value of the price is $12.99 usd. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or associated with Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to the owner of this Facebook page and not to Facebook.
TO enter just leave a comment below with a quick sentence on why you would like to have this book for yourself! Thank you!
GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED
We're usually starving by the time we get home from church on Sundays. We just don't do Sunday lunch in this house. By the time we get home from church, there's not really enough time on Sunday do one justice. We usually have Sunday Lunch on Saturday Night, then on Sunday we usually just have either leftovers, or something that I can quickly throw together, like beans on toast or scrambled eggs and toast, or something like that.
Once we are fed, I usually call my mom while Todd does the dishes. (I know I am a really lucky woman!) After that we settle in to watch some quiet telly together and then late in the afternoon or early evening, I will bake us a teatime treat.
It's usually something scrummy like rock cakes, or scones . . . something that we can enjoy eaten out of hand with a cold glass of milk or mug of Horlicks.
Today it was these wonderfully scrummy Strawberry Jam Swirls.
Beautifully puffed and buttery pastry . . . quite similar to a scone dough, and stogged full of gooey Strawberry Jam.
All swirled and then glazed with an egg wash and granulated sugar . . . oh my but these are soooo good.
You don't have to use Strawberry Preserves though . . . you can use whatever preserves strike your fancy . . . plum, raspberry, blueberry, apricot . . . even orange marmalade! If you are a marmalade lover like me, that is superdy duperdy scrummilicious!!!
You can even get really fancy and sprinkle the jam with some chopped toasted walnuts or pecans before you roll them up. Seriously delicious.
Seriously . . . trust me on this.
*Strawberry Jam Swirls*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe
A buttery pastry swirled with strawberry jam, rolled, sliced and then baked until the pastry is all puffed and the jam all gooey scrumdiddlyumptious! You can use any flavour of jam you wish, or even marmalade. We love them with strawberry jam though!
3 ounces of butter, diced (6 TBS)
16 ounces of plain flour (4 1/2 cups)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 ounces of caster sugar (a scant 1/2 cup)
2 medium free range eggs
300ml of milk (1 1/4 cups)
2 generous dessertspoons of strawberry preserves
1 small free range egg, beaten for glazing
2 TBS granulated sugar for sprinkling
Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Butter a baking sheet really well. Set aside.
Measure the flour into a large bowl. Whisk in the baking powder, salt and caster sugar. Drop in the butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Beat the eggs and milk together. Make a well in the dry ingredients and then pour in about 2/3 of the egg/milk mixture. Mix it in with a fork, until you get a soft dough, adding more milk/egg if necessary. You will havea fairly sticky dough and may not need more.
Lightly flour your work surface. Dump the dough onto it and dust with flour. Roll or pat out into a rectangle about 12 inches in length, 7 inches wide and 1/2 inch tall. Spread with the strawberry preserves covering completely. With the long side facing you, roll into a roll, rolling the pastry away from you. Cut into 12 slices and place each slice onto the buttered baking sheet, leaving some space in between.
Brush with some beaten egg and then sprinkle with the granulated sugar.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling. Lovely eaten warm with a nice cold glass of milk!
I am sharing another favorite Christmas cookie with you today. It just wouldn't be Christmas without some of these delicious Walnut Cherry Slices on the cookie tray!
Short, crisp, buttery and studded with plenty of red and green candied cherries and toasted walnuts. No, you are not going blind. There are no walnuts in my cookies.
I left them out this time because my family here in Nova Scotia are not overly fond of them! I added extra cherries in their place!
.JPG "Walnut Cherry Slices")
These cookies are very much a holiday tradition here in the Maritimes, and something which I grew up with. They have a lovely texture very similar to a short bread cookie with lots of bits of sweet cherries in them.
I always try to use both red and green cherries, which really gives them a festive look! I would never ice these as it would make them far too sweet for my liking. I do, personally, like toasted walnuts in them, but . . . you know.
.JPG "Walnut Cherry Slices")
You can also keep it wrapped in the refrigerator for a week or so, ready to slice and bake as and when you want them.
.JPG "Walnut Cherry Slices")
They really make a beautiful show on the Christmas Cookie tray, especially if you use both red and green cherries. In terms of ease, these are quite simply one of my favorite cookies to bake.
But then I am a huge fan of the slice and bake cookie. My Washboard Cookies are a slice and bake cookie as are my Mom's Butterscotch Cookies.
.JPG "Walnut Cherry Slices")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE WALNUT CHERRY SLICES
Very simple baking ingredients. You probably have everything but the glace cherries and those can easily be purchased at the shops.
- 1 cup (240g) butter, softened
- 1 cup (130g) sifted icing sugar
- 1 large free-range egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 (315g) cups plain all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (116g) chopped toasted walnuts (my family is not overly fond of walnuts, so I just add extra cherries)
- 2 cups (450g) chopped candied cherries
.JPG "Walnut Cherry Slices")
Glace cherries (also known as candied cherries) are fresh cherries that have been simmered in a thick sugar syrup until they are "candied." Cherries have been preserved in this way since the 14th century.
They can be found in the grocery store along with any other candied fruit that might be used in making fruit cakes.
.JPG "Walnut Cherry Slices")
If you are using walnuts (and I love them with walnuts myself), do toast them. You will find the flavor of the nuts is so much better when they are toasted.
You can either do this in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or you can spread them out on a baking sheet and toast them in a moderate oven (350*F/180*C) for 5 to 10 minutes. Leave them to cool before using.
Keep a watch on them as they can go from perfect to burnt in seconds.
.JPG "Walnut Cherry Slices")
As with any ingredients you are going to use in baking, it is better that they all be at room temperature. This ensures a much more even and reliable result. This goes for butter, eggs, milk, flour, etc.
.JPG "Walnut Cherry Slices")
HOW TO MAKE WALNUT CHERRY SLICES
Nothing could be easier.
Cream the butter and icing sugar together in a bowl for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well incorporated
Beat in the flour until well combined, and then fold in the chopped cherries and nuts (if using). Use a wooden spoon to stir these through the cookie dough and be gentle so as not to break them up too much.
Turn the dough out onto a sheet of non-stick baking or wax paper. Shape into a long log, about 18 inches in length. Roll the log in the paper, twisting the ends tightly. Wrap again in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for one hour if you are planning to bake on the day. You can refrigerate the cookie dough for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. (If frozen, remove dough from freezer and allow to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes and continue with the following steps.)
.JPG "Walnut Cherry Slices")
When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 325*F/165*C/ gas mark 3. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper and set it aside.
Unwrap the cookie log. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
Lay the slices onto the prepared baking sheet leaving an inch of space in between cookies. Bake for 12 minutes or until the bottom edge of the cookies has turned golden brown.
Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container.
.JPG "Walnut Cherry Slices")
These really are one of my favorite Christmas cookies. Don't be tempted to use maraschino cherries to make these. They are not the same as glace cherries. In the US if you are having a problem finding them a very popular brand is Paradise, and these can be found online on Amazon.
Don't worry about using them up. I have lots of recipes on here where you will be able to use them, and they are not all Christmas recipes.
.JPG "Walnut Cherry Slices")
Some of those recipes are:
ROCKY ROAD BROWNIES - Rocky Road Brownies are a glorious amalgamation of dense and fudgy, filled with toasted nuts, candied cherries and loads of chocolate flavor. Topped with a fudgy icing and mini marshmallows.
CHERRY AND VANILLA SCONES - Buttery and light and perfect split and filled with jam and cream. Delicious served with a nice hot cup of tea, herbal or otherwise.
Yield: 30 cookies
Walnut Cherry Slices
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 12 MinInactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 27 M
You can prepare the dough for these delicious Christmas cookies ahead of time and freeze. (Up to a month in advance.) When ready to bake, just slice and bake until done. It wouldn't be Christmas without these! Plan ahead as the dough for these needs to chill for at least an hour. (I prefer overnight, myself.)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240g) butter, softened
- 1 cup (130g) sifted icing sugar
- 1 large free-range egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 (315g) cups plain all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (116g) chopped toasted walnuts (my family is not overly fond of walnuts, so I just add extra cherries)
- 2 cups (450g) chopped candied cherries
Instructions
- Cream the butter and icing sugar together in a bowl for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well incorporated
- Beat in the flour until well combined, and then fold in the chopped cherries and nuts (if using). Use a wooden spoon to stir these through the cookie dough and be gentle so as not to break them up too much.
- Turn the dough out onto a sheet of non-stick baking or wax paper. Shape into a long log, about 18 inches in length. Roll the log in the paper, twisting the ends tightly. Wrap again in plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate for one hour if you are planning to bake on the day. You can refrigerate the cookie dough for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. (If frozen, remove dough from freezer and allow to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes and continue with the following steps.)
- When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 325*F/165*C/ gas mark 3. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Unwrap the cookie log. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
- Lay the slices onto the prepared baking sheet leaving an inch of space in between cookies. Bake for 12 minutes or until the bottom edge of the cookies has turned golden brown.
- Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Store in an airtight container.
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
Kinda like a muffin. But not like a muffin . . .
I thought that there was no better way to begin the month of August than to share a delicious blueberry recipe. And you cannot get more delicious than an old fashioned blueberry muffins!
Whenever I think of August, I think of blueberries and corn, and when I think of wild blueberries, I immediately think of blueberry pie and blueberry muffins! It doesn't get much better than that!
Today's delicious Blueberry Muffin recipe comes from none other than the baking doyenne herself, Mary Berry. This is a gracious lady who has been around the kitchen more than a few times.
I love LOVED her on the Great British Bakeoff show. Somehow it was just not the same after she left. She brought a sense of class to the show.
This recipe comes from her book, Mary Berry's Baking Bible, which contains over 250 classic recipes. I, quite simply, love this book, almost as much as I love her!
You know muffins you buy at the shops? They are always far too big, far too sweet and far too expensive for what you are getting.
More cake than muffin, more often than not, they truly are disappointing. When I want a muffin, I want a muffin, and when I want cake I want cake.
These muffins are muffins, pure and simple. Not too sweet. Not too large. Beautifully textured. But then again, I would expect nothing less from Mary Berry.
I was very intrigued by the manner in which these were put together. You whisk together self rising flour and baking powder and then you drop in butter, which you rub into the flour with your fingertips.
Just until the mixture resembles fine dry breadcrumbs. I have done this often for making cakes, but never for muffins. Usually muffins use melted butter or oil.
Once you have the butter rubbed in you add lemon zest and sugar. I was tempted to use Dorie Greenspan's method of rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar, but for this first time baking these muffins I thought I would go with Mary's method.
She uses caster sugar which is a finely granulated sugar. In the UK their granulated sugar is much more coarser than ours in North America. It is perfectly fine to just use granulated sugar in these in North America.
It is pretty much the same in texture as caster sugar.
Its funny how things like something as simple as sugar, or flour for that matter, can differ greatly from one country to the next. In the UK, they mostly recommend caster sugar for baking.
That is because their granulated sugar is so coarse that it doesn't melt properly in recipes. If you have ever had a cake come out of the oven with a speckled top, that's because your sugar was too coarse and not creamed in well enough.
The purpose of creaming is to almost melt the sugar into the butter so that doesn't happen. For these, it didn't seem to matter.
In fact, in the UK, more often than not, the sugar is just stirred into the dry ingredients, like in scones for instance. I thought that totally odd, but it also totally works, especially if you are using caster sugar.
As with any muffin recipe, the wet ingredients are stirred into the dry ingredients, just until they are combined. That is what gives them their beautiful texture.
In a cake, you want a finer texture and crumb. Muffins are meant to be much more rustic. They are classified as a quick bread not a cake, and should eat as such.
Oh how I wish I had had some wild blueberries to use in these muffins. I can only think how lovely they would be with wild berries.
Alas, my blueberry picking days are over. When I was a child we spent many a hot day in August picking blueberries for my mother. It was hot, back breaking work.
Unlike high bush berries, wild blueberries grown close to the ground. You need to crouch when you are picking them. I cannot crouch these days due to arthritis.
But I have many fond memories of having picked them in the past. Most people here in Nova Scotia have their favorite blueberry picking territories, and are loath to share them with someone else. They do grow wild just about everywhere.
But are much more abundant in some areas than in others. When you find a prime spot you tend to stick to it and keep it to yourself. We once owned a house in Nictaux, close to the falls.
There was a gravel pit up back of us. The soil was dry and sandy and we had tons of berries, ripe for the picking. You could go out and pick every day and would have your bucket filled in next to no time.
The only problem with blueberries and the month of August is that the bears are out there picking them also. I can remember always being bear aware when picking berries as a child.
The bears are out scavenging and filling up their bellies in August for the Winter's hibernation they know lies ahead, and so you are as likely to come across a bear in the bush as you are berries. So you do need to be careful.
I am terrified of bears. Absolutely terrified.
In any case, I did not have to fight the bears for these berries I used today. They were highbush berries, not quite as sweet as the wild, but delicious nonetheless.
I took half of these over to my next door neighbor. I thought she would enjoy them.
These are a lovely muffin. Light and beautifully textured. Not too sweet, and stuffed with plenty of berries. I highly recommend!! If they are good enough for Mary, they are plenty good enough for me!
Mary Berry's Blueberry Muffins
Yield: 8
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 35 Min
Moist and delicious and stuffed with sweet berries!
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup plus 1 TBS (250g) self rising flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 1/2 TBS (50g) butter, at room temperature
- 6 1/2 TBS (75g) caster sugar (fine granulated sugar)
- 3/4 cup (175g) blueberries
- the finely grated zest of one lemon
- 2 large free range eggs, beaten
- 9 fluid ounces (250ml) milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter a muffin tin really well, or line with paper liners. (I used a six cup muffin tin and 2 ramekins.)
- Measure the flour and baking powder into a bowl and give it a good stir. Drop in the butter and then rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine dry bread crumbs. Stir in the lemon zest, sugar and blueberries.
- Mix the eggs and milk together and then add to the dry ingredients, stirring all together just until the mixture is combined. Its okay if the batter is a bit lumpy. In fact, this is desirable.
- Spoon the batter into the muffin cups filling them almost to the top.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until well risen and golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean and they should spring back when lightly touched.
- Leave to cool for a few minutes, then tip out onto a wire rack to cool for a bit longer.
- Beautiful served warm with a nice hot cuppa!
During the week, I like to keep suppers pretty much on the simple side. Mind you, if I am honest, I like to keep suppers pretty much on the simple side anyways.
I had way more than enough of complicated when I was working as a chef, more than enough to last a lifetime
That's not to say that I won't ever do complicated . . . just that complicated will be a rarity on my page because I can't be bothered for the most part!
That's not to say that I won't ever do complicated . . . just that complicated will be a rarity on my page because I can't be bothered for the most part!
Delicious and simple works for me!
Quick and easy also works for me. I save complicated for the weekend, or when we are having special guests.
Quick and easy also works for me. I save complicated for the weekend, or when we are having special guests.
That's why I just adore recipes like this one I am showing you here today. It's super simple, quick and easy . . . and delicious on top of it all.
AND . . . it all cooks in one pan, so clean up is a breeze! Not only that, but it is very economical.
AND . . . it all cooks in one pan, so clean up is a breeze! Not only that, but it is very economical.
With two large single boneless, skinless chicken breasts you can feed a family of four heartily and nobody will feel hard done by in the least!
With it's hearty chunks of chicken, chopped vegetables, noodles and that creamy sauce, it will have your family licking their chops and begging for more.
With it's hearty chunks of chicken, chopped vegetables, noodles and that creamy sauce, it will have your family licking their chops and begging for more.
Especially if you serve it up with some hot biscuits/scones. (I'll pop my mum's recipe down below. They're the best!) That's what we love to have with it. I guarantee everybody will be happy!
And that my friends, makes me happy. ☺
And that my friends, makes me happy. ☺
*Creamy Chicken Noodle Skillet*
Serves 4
A delicious stove top casserole which is a real family pleaser! NO heating of the oven means the kitchen stays cool! Serve with fresh biscuits for a fabulous family style supper. Serves 4
450ml of chicken broth (2 cups)
1 tin of condensed cream of chicken soup
1 soup can of milk
1 TBS dried parsley flakes
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 pound flat noodles, broken if long
a handful of frozen petit pois
180g of grated strong cheddar cheese, divided (1 1/2 cups)
chopped fresh parsley to garnish
Heat the oil in a large deep skillet. Add the chopped vegetables. Cook, stirring, without browning over medium high heat until they beging to tenderize. Add the chicken. Season with some salt and black pepper.
Cook, stirring over medium heat, until the chicken is no longer pink, but don't allow it to brown. Add the chicken broth, soup, milk, parsley flakes, thyme, garlic powder and noodles. Stir well together. Bring to the boil, then reduce to low and allow to simmeror 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so to help keep the pasta from sticking together.
Add the peas during the last five minutes of cooking. Stir in 120g (1 cup) of the cheese and allow it to melt in. Remove from the heat and top with the remaining cheese. Cover and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.
*Mom's Baking Powder Biscuits*
Makes about 36
Printable Recipe
My mom makes the best baking powder biscuits in the world. Now you can too.
280g plain flour (4 cups)
8 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 TBS granulated sugar
220g white shortening (1 cup)
2 large free range eggs
335ml milk (1 1/2 cups)
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. You will need several large baking sheets. No need to grease them.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl. Drop in the shortening and cut it in with two round bladed knives or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat together the milk and eggs until well combined. Add to the dry mixture and stir with a fork until you have a soft dough. You may not need all the liquid. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead a few times. Pat out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out with a sharp 2 inch round cutter, giving the cutter a sharp tap straight down and up without twisting. (Twisting will give you lop sided biscuits.) Place onto the baking sheets, leaving some space inbetween the biscuits for crispy all around biscuits, or close together for soft sided biscuits.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until well risen and browned. Serve warm. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and reheated in the microwave for a few seconds. These also freeze really well.
Add the peas during the last five minutes of cooking. Stir in 120g (1 cup) of the cheese and allow it to melt in. Remove from the heat and top with the remaining cheese. Cover and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.
*Mom's Baking Powder Biscuits*
Makes about 36
Printable Recipe
My mom makes the best baking powder biscuits in the world. Now you can too.
280g plain flour (4 cups)
8 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 TBS granulated sugar
220g white shortening (1 cup)
2 large free range eggs
335ml milk (1 1/2 cups)
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. You will need several large baking sheets. No need to grease them.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl. Drop in the shortening and cut it in with two round bladed knives or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat together the milk and eggs until well combined. Add to the dry mixture and stir with a fork until you have a soft dough. You may not need all the liquid. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead a few times. Pat out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out with a sharp 2 inch round cutter, giving the cutter a sharp tap straight down and up without twisting. (Twisting will give you lop sided biscuits.) Place onto the baking sheets, leaving some space inbetween the biscuits for crispy all around biscuits, or close together for soft sided biscuits.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until well risen and browned. Serve warm. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and reheated in the microwave for a few seconds. These also freeze really well.
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@aol.com
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