Showing posts sorted by relevance for query brownies. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query brownies. Sort by date Show all posts
I think one of my absolute most favourite things is Gingerbread. Gingerbread cake. Gingerbread loaf. Gingerbread Cookies. Gingerbread Brownies . . . and NOW these scrumptious Gingerbread Rolls! Yes, Gingerbread rolls!
Did you know that this is National Chocolate Week? I didn't until yesterday and I can't think of a more delicious week to celebrate! As you know I LOVE CHOCOLATE, but the Toddster doesn't. Meh . . . what do men know about such things . . .
I have had a cookbook entitled "Bake Me I'm Yours . . . Chocolate" in my bookcase for a while now. It's a part of the Bake Me I'm Yours series put out by D&C publishing.
It's a cute little book, which contains over 25 beautiful Chocolate Creations. Written and put together by Tracey Mann, it consists of over 123 pages, and is fully illustrated with color photos throughout. It's not a large book in size, and would easily fit inside a handbag. Printed on quality paper and soft covered.
It's set up in convenient sections and includes all the basics you need to know about baking and decorating with chocolate as it's main theme.
Included are an extensive tool list so that you need never be in the dark as far as knowing what to use and when to use it. Basic techniques are covered such as tempering chocolate and using chocolate paste. Basic recipes are also included for things such as chocolate sponge cake, brownies, ganache, chocolate cupcakes, amongst others.
Each recipe and technique is beautifully photographed and illustrated.
You can learn now to make perfect chocolate curls . . .
Be able to create fantastic Celebratory Creations!
From beautiful and simple every day cupcakes . . .
To fabulously decorated Christmas Cakes!!
If Chocolate is your thing . . . and you like to decorate and create beautiful baked goods, then this is the book for you!
Right now you can purchase it at RUCrafts for the low price of £2.99 I don't know about you, but that is pretty affordable in my opinion, not much more than the price of a hot drink in a cafe and you'll have it with you for a whole lot longer too!
bake me I'm yours . . . Chocolate
by Tracey Mann
Published by D&C (David and Charles) publishing
ISBN - 13: 978-0-7153-3764-6
ISBN - 10: 0-7153-3764-5
UK £6.99
In honor of National Chocolate week I am offering the chance for two of you to win a copy of this lovely cookery book!! All you have to do is leave a comment in the comment section of this post and on Monday next I will use an independent number picker to pick two entries from all of the comments to receive a copy of this book, and it doesn't matter where you live. They will ship it anywhere! So . . . what are you waiting for? Get commenting!!
Giveaway now closed. Thanks for playing!
My husband doesn't quite understand our North American obsession with meatloaf. Its not something he grew up with.
On the other hand for we North Americans, meatloaf is somewhat of an institution. It is what I would call comfort food at its best!
Its not something which really photographs well, but hey ho. Don't just this book by its cover because it is absolutely delicious!
Brown food never photographs well. I have always struggled with it. That doesn't mean it doesn't taste good. I've never met a brownie I didn't like, brown or not. And brownies are notoriously hard to photograph!
This version of meatloaf is a bit different than the usual meatloaf. For this recipe, you season your meat and pat it out to a rectangle.
You then cover it with a type of onion stuffing mix. This is made from simmering onions in beef stock, and mixing that with dried bread crumbs.
A layer of grated strong cheddar cheese gets sprinkled over that. I favour a nice strong cheddar for the best and most flavour.
You roll the whole thing up like a jelly roll. A big, fat, meaty jelly roll. Or Swiss roll if you would rather . . .
It gets baked in the oven until golden brown. I always like to glaze my mealoaves for an extra special touch.
This one is no different. I glazed it with a mix of tomato ketchup and maple syrup, for a bit of sticky yum yum.
More cheese is melted on top and then it gets served cut into slices with whatever your favourite sides are. You could serve gravy with it, but we like tomato ketchup!
Chill any leftovers and then serve the next day, thinly sliced and popped into sandwiches for a tasty lunch! Scrummo!
*Stuffed Meatloaf*
Serves 6
80ml beef stock (1/3 cup)
150g bread cubes (about 1/4 inch) toasted (2 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp each onion, and garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme, rubbed
Mix the meat together with the egg, onion and garlic powders, salt, pepper and thyme. Pat out into a 14 inch by 8 inch rectangle on a piece of cling film. Cover with the bread crumb mixture. Sprinkle evenly with 120g of the cheese (1 cup). Starting from a short end, roll up tightly. Place seamside down into an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch loaf dish.
Bake uncovered, for 55 minutes. Whisk together the maple syrup and the ketchup. Brush over top, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Return to the oven and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes, until glazed and the cheese has melted. Let stand for a few minutes before cutting into slices to serve.
I love comfort food meals like this. I served it with scalloped potatoes and mixed vegetables, but mash would go equally as well, or yes . . . mac and cheese. Bon Appetit!
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!
Allergy Awareness Week, April 28th to May 4th, Coeliac Awareness Week, 11th to 17th May 2015
Did you know...?
50% of young people in Britain suffer
from one or more allergies* and more than a third of all parents
believe that their child has a food allergy or sensitivity of some
sort**.
Nearly a third (31%) of households contain someone who has a food allergy or intolerance, the majority being self-diagnosed.***
Over 1 in 5 (22%) of the population consider themselves to have a food allergy or intolerance (an increase of 5% compared to 2011).***
Happily though, Mrs Crimble’s, the much loved gluten free British bakery brand, is proving that people who are gluten intolerant can still enjoy snacks, cakes and other treats that taste every bit as yummy as the mainstream alternatives. They are also succeeding in making sure that their products are widely available – from supermarkets and convenience stores to department store cafes, airline snack boxes, delicatessens and local fine food stores.
Happily though, Mrs Crimble’s, the much loved gluten free British bakery brand, is proving that people who are gluten intolerant can still enjoy snacks, cakes and other treats that taste every bit as yummy as the mainstream alternatives. They are also succeeding in making sure that their products are widely available – from supermarkets and convenience stores to department store cafes, airline snack boxes, delicatessens and local fine food stores.
Mrs
Crimble’s reputation was built on the huge success of their Coconut and
Choc Macaroon products but has now grown to include savoury snacks,
home bake mixes, crackers and individually wrapped products such as
flapjacks that can be enjoyed on the go.
They
are also succeeding in making sure that their products are widely
available – from supermarkets and convenience stores to department store
cafes, airline snack boxes, delicatessens and local fine food stores.
Mrs Crimble’s products enable people with allergies to enjoy products with all of the taste and none of the gluten – ensuring families and friends can enjoy great food together.
* According to a recent survey by the charity, Allergy UK
** According to the NHS Choices Website
Here are a few of the Mrs Crimble's products I enjoy (aside from their Macaroons which are just the best thing ever!).
Mrs Crimble's Chocolate Coated Rice Cakes
Mrs Crimble's new chocolate coated rice cakes are delicious. Made from puffed rice, they are baked and not fried then topped with delicious chocolate. And only 81 calories per slice. A great snack option.
Mrs Crimbles Cheese Crackers
Mrs Crimble's Cheese Crackers come in a variety of flavours, Original, Rosemary and Onion, Tomato and Pesto and Hot Chilli Cheese. There is something for every taste. Crispy, crunchy, baked not fried and deliciously gluten free. Four crackers = 82 calories
Mrs Crimble's Cakes and Biscuits
These come in four different indulgent flavours. Bakewell Slices. Double Chocolate Brownies. Lemon Slices. Country Fruit Slices. Calories Vary.
My favourites are the Country Fruit Slices ( A classic recipe with a moist sponge filled with juicy raisins, cranberries and apricots with a pastry base and topped with sugar) and of course the Lemon Slices (A light moist lemon sponge layered with a tangylemon filling and topped with icing). Both are of course gluten free.
I think it's just wonderful that celiacs and allergy sufferers have these delicious options available for them today. They need never feel deprived. In days gone by it would have been very frustrating to have a person with these dietary concerns in the home, but thankfully more and more products are becoming available for them all the time.
Mrs Crimble’s started over 30 years ago and today their products can be found in all good independent farm shops, health stores, delicatessens and supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s, Asda, Waitrose, Morrisons, Co-op, and Tesco. Mrs Crimble’s can also be found in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The company is the Official Free From Sponsor of England Netball, in particular supporting the Back to Netball scheme which encourages female players of all ages to get active and re-introduced to the much loved school sport.
Mrs Crimble’s are Official Gluten Free Partner to Breast Cancer Campaign which involves support of the successful University Fundraising initiatives, donations via promotional packs during October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month) and many other activities.
In response to consumer feedback, Mrs Crimble’s have launched an online shop providing consumers with a convenient location to access the complete range. The website also features Mrs Crimble’s blog and a regularly updated ‘Where to Buy’ tab at www.mrscrimbles.com.
I am all for small indulgences. Not all the time, but once in a while it is good to tempt the tummy with something that is totally scrummy and delicious.
I'm afraid for me that means chocolate . . . good chocolate. The BEST chocolate.
Organic Dark milk chocolate by Green and Blacks is usually what pleases me the most.
I can't help it. I just love the stuff. All dark . . . and yet totally milky and creamy, and no . . . once again I am not being paid to tell you this.
It's the truth. I just love Green and Black's Organic Milk chocolate bars. . . plain, or the tasty one that contains fruit and nuts. I am crazy about chocolate filled with either raisins or nuts . . . or both. I keep a tiny personal sized bar in my purse for just such an indulgence. And it's for me . . . all for me. (Any man worth his salt will tell you, never get between a woman and her chocolate indulgence . . . it's dangerous business.)
I'm also crazy about these tasty bars, and I don't mind sharing them. In fact . . . they were meant to be totally shared.
mmmm . . . dangerous. Scrummily dangerous. Not to be trifled with . . .
Moreish even.
*Butterscotch Blondies*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe
These bars are lovely and chewy and full of wonderful butterscotch flavour. I try to use the best milk chocolate possible and that is Green and Black’s organic (in my opinion). They small fantastic when baking and the taste, well, it’s out of this world! Bet you can’t eat just one, which also makes them very dangerous to have around!
140g butter, plus more to grease the pan (9 3/4 TBS)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
Pinch salt
350g light muscovado sugar (1 3/4 cup)
2 tsp pure vanilla essence
250g self rising flour (2 1/4 cup)
100g milk chocolate, cut into big chunks (3 1/2 ounces, or a generous 1/2 cup)
100g macadamia nuts or pecan nuts, coarsely chopped ( a very scant cup)
Icing sugar to dust over the tops when done
Pre-heat the oven to 160*C/350*F. Butter a shallow pan, about 20 X 21 cm in size and set aside.
Melt the butter in a small bowl and set aside to cool. In the meantime chop up your chocolate.
Beat the eggs until frothy in another bowl. Add the melted butter along with the eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla. Tip in the flour and mix only until combined. Stir in the chocolate and ¾ of the nuts. Try not to over mix the batter, you'll end up with tough brownies if you do.
Spread the batter into the prepared tin and scatter the remaining nuts on top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until done. Don’t overbake. You want them dry on the top with a slight resistance to the touch of a fingertip, but you also want them to be fudgy and moist.
Let cool, then cut into bars and dust with the icing sugar.
Blondies. Blondies are often called a white brownie. That's not an entirely accurate description. Just what is a Blondie?
It is the dense, more caramel like version of a brownie, but every bit as dense and fudgy in texture. They are incredibly sweet and incredibly moreish. But what makes a good Blondie?
What could you classify as the best blondie recipe? I'll tell you.
Quality ingredients. That's what. First, you need to use a really good quality butter. I use lurkpac, lightly salted.
There is also a fine line between using too little butter and too much. 125g (about 1/2 cup) does it perfectly. Any more and they would be greasy. I also melt the butter.
My ex MIL taught me to do that. It creates a perfect denseness.
I like to use muscovado sugar, or at the very least dark soft brown sugar. The higher the molasses content, the more fudge-like consistency you will get.
This gets whisked into the melted butter along with 1 large free range egg and some really good vanilla.
I use pure vanilla extract, not artificial. Don't be tempted to use Vanilla Paste. Its a waste here and too sweet.
These are really sweet bars, and you don't want to be adding too much extra in the way of sweetness. Extract works beautifully.
Plain flour. No leavening. Just stir it in with a pinch of salt, just to combine.
Don't overmix, or you might overdevelop the gluten in the flour. Just mix until there are no dry streaks.
I like to use two kinds of chocolate chips, and again I use quality ones here. A good semi-sweet and a good white chocolate chip work well.
I like the Kirkland chocolate chips you can get at Costco for the semi sweet ones, and I buy my white chocolate chips at an American supply company.
Failing that, get some really good white chocolate, like Green & Blacks and chop it up.
You want the white chocolate to be somewhat creamy and not artificial . . . and you want the semi sweet chocolate chips to be really semi sweet, again not artificial tasting.
With the Kirkland chocolate chips, even an hour later, they still appear moist and fudgy in the bake, not hard. I like that.
I bake them in a 9 inch square baking tin. You could bake them in a smaller tin, but you would need to bake them for longer and, in all honesty, you won't end up with the right quality of dense fudginess.
I prefer to cook for a shorter time and go fudgier.
You don't want dry Blondies. Dry Blondies are no fun.
Fudgy is better. Way, way better.
And that's what you want. Dense and fudgy. Not raw.
I remember attending a cooking show down in London a number of years back and they had celebrity chef's on baking Brownies. I was NOT impressed.
Their idea of a good Brownie was a raw Brownie. Seriously. That's not a good brownie, that's a mess.
Like a good brownie, you should be able to pick up a good blondie in your hands to eat it, without it falling apart or oozing. If its oozing its raw.
It should hold together with a moist dense crumb. That is what makes a Blondie a "The Best" Blondie. End of.
*The Best Blondies*
Makes 9 large
1 large free range egg
140g plain flour (1 cup)
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch square baking tin and line with baking paper, leaving an overhang for lifting out of the pan.
Whisk together the melted butter, sugar, vanilla and egg until well mixed together. Stir in the flour and salt. Mix to combine. Stir in both chocolates. Spread in the prepared baking tin.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until the top appears set, but they still a bit squidgy beneath. Allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before lifting out. For 9 servings, cut into 9 even squares. For 18, cut each square crosswise into a triangle. Store in an airtight container.
I prefer to serve these cut into triangles. They are very rich and very sweet. I think a triangle gives you just enough to enjoy. Bon Appetit!
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
I spent most of my life living in Armed Forces housing, most of my homes being cookie cutter stamps of the same house . . . the only thing different being it's location, having lived in almost every province in Canada. My father was in the Air Force as was my ex husband. Small, comfortable and sadly lacking in space, something I always wanted to have was a . . . larder.
A lovely room, however large or small, that I could stuff to the rafters with all of the provisions that I could possibly want or need to be able to provide tasty meals for my family . . . something along the same lines as those tasty tuck boxes I used to read about in all those Enid Blyton stories I devoured as a girl . . . but on a much larger scale.
My nan had one as did my first mother in law . . . the shelves filled with jars of preserves, boxes of apples and potatoes, all safely tucked into their newspaper sleeves and beds of straw, nylon stockings full of onions hanging from pegs and smoky hams and sausages hanging from the rafters . . . my grandfather even had
barrels of his own homemade kraut.
Finally I have been blessed with a small room that we call the larder here at Oak Cottage . . . a tiny room with shelves along it's walls which lays just off our back entrance, tucked away behind a sliding wooden door. My shelves are lined with all sorts of food stuffs and I pride myself on being able to go inside and produce a tasty meal out of the goodies on it's shelves without much problem at all.
Here are some of the items I would never be without and that I think all kitchens should have in their storecupboards and larders. My favourites list and things I always have at hand here at Oak Cottage.
Good Quality chocolate, for baking and for eating. Although Todd doesn't really like chocolate cakes or the like, I do like to keep a good quantity of nice chocolate on hand to bake brownies and the occasional chocolate cake. Something with at least a 70% cocoa content. I also like to keep a variety of cocoa powders, both natural and Dutch process.
A good quality Balsamic Vinegar, along with an assortment of other vinegars. Sherry, White and Red wine, Apple Cider, Malt, and Rice Wine. You really do get what you pay for here. I also make my own tarragon and other flavoured vinegars, using a good white wine vinegar.
An assortment of mustards, including a good Dijon, grainy, English, and Dry mustard powder. I use them in vinaigrettes, marinades and you just can't beat a nice ham sandwich on a rustic loaf and adorned with a good slather of a tasty mustard.
Capers. I keep several varieties on hand, salt preserved, regular, those exquisite little non pareil capers and delicious caper berries. They are fabulous in sauces and dressings and salads. A Nicoise salad would not be the same without the adornment of caper berries.
Dried mushrooms, an assortment . . . all woodsey and earthy and just waiting to be steeped and made into a delicious soup or tucked into a tasty stew.
Dried pasta. Of course it is nice if you have the time and energy to make your own pasta, but one cannot overlook the blessing of having good quality dried pasta to hand. I like to keep a variety in my larder, some short kinds such as macaroni, and then the longer ones like Spaghetti, linguine, some noodles of various widths, farfelle, lasagna, and of course fusilli and other twisty types. I prefer Italian brands myself.
French Cornichons. Great with cold cuts and cheeses and an indispensable ingredient for making tartar sauce and certain salsa verdes. I also keep several other pickles and chutneys . . . pickled cipoline onions, mango chutney, Branstons and a good quality piccalili.
Dried Spanish Chorizo sausages. These are fantastic additions to omelets, sauteed potatoes, salads, stews, the possibilities are endless. I wouldn't be without them.
Italian tinned plum tomatoes, whole, chopped and pureed. A tin of them and you always have a ready soup to hand, or a tasty pasta sauce . . . the uses are endless.
I love French Mayonnaise. Rich and glossy and in a class of it's own.
Extra Virgin Olive oil, in a variety of guises. I like a nice mild one for cooking and a stronger more full flavoured one for use in salads. I prefer Greek.
A variety of olives, black and green. I love Greek Kalamata, the tiny nicoise olives of France, spanish black and green. I adore oil cured and dried black and green olives and always have several packets of them to hand, ready to be tossed into salads, baked into loaves or pizzas, and to be used as tasty hors d'ouevres and tapas, or eaten out of hand . . . just because . . . 
Finally I have been blessed with a small room that we call the larder here at Oak Cottage . . . a tiny room with shelves along it's walls which lays just off our back entrance, tucked away behind a sliding wooden door. My shelves are lined with all sorts of food stuffs and I pride myself on being able to go inside and produce a tasty meal out of the goodies on it's shelves without much problem at all.
Here are some of the items I would never be without and that I think all kitchens should have in their storecupboards and larders. My favourites list and things I always have at hand here at Oak Cottage.
Good Quality chocolate, for baking and for eating. Although Todd doesn't really like chocolate cakes or the like, I do like to keep a good quantity of nice chocolate on hand to bake brownies and the occasional chocolate cake. Something with at least a 70% cocoa content. I also like to keep a variety of cocoa powders, both natural and Dutch process.
A good quality Balsamic Vinegar, along with an assortment of other vinegars. Sherry, White and Red wine, Apple Cider, Malt, and Rice Wine. You really do get what you pay for here. I also make my own tarragon and other flavoured vinegars, using a good white wine vinegar.
An assortment of mustards, including a good Dijon, grainy, English, and Dry mustard powder. I use them in vinaigrettes, marinades and you just can't beat a nice ham sandwich on a rustic loaf and adorned with a good slather of a tasty mustard.
Capers. I keep several varieties on hand, salt preserved, regular, those exquisite little non pareil capers and delicious caper berries. They are fabulous in sauces and dressings and salads. A Nicoise salad would not be the same without the adornment of caper berries.
Dried mushrooms, an assortment . . . all woodsey and earthy and just waiting to be steeped and made into a delicious soup or tucked into a tasty stew.
Dried pasta. Of course it is nice if you have the time and energy to make your own pasta, but one cannot overlook the blessing of having good quality dried pasta to hand. I like to keep a variety in my larder, some short kinds such as macaroni, and then the longer ones like Spaghetti, linguine, some noodles of various widths, farfelle, lasagna, and of course fusilli and other twisty types. I prefer Italian brands myself.
French Cornichons. Great with cold cuts and cheeses and an indispensable ingredient for making tartar sauce and certain salsa verdes. I also keep several other pickles and chutneys . . . pickled cipoline onions, mango chutney, Branstons and a good quality piccalili.
Dried Spanish Chorizo sausages. These are fantastic additions to omelets, sauteed potatoes, salads, stews, the possibilities are endless. I wouldn't be without them.
Italian tinned plum tomatoes, whole, chopped and pureed. A tin of them and you always have a ready soup to hand, or a tasty pasta sauce . . . the uses are endless.
I love French Mayonnaise. Rich and glossy and in a class of it's own.
Extra Virgin Olive oil, in a variety of guises. I like a nice mild one for cooking and a stronger more full flavoured one for use in salads. I prefer Greek.
A variety of olives, black and green. I love Greek Kalamata, the tiny nicoise olives of France, spanish black and green. I adore oil cured and dried black and green olives and always have several packets of them to hand, ready to be tossed into salads, baked into loaves or pizzas, and to be used as tasty hors d'ouevres and tapas, or eaten out of hand . . . just because . . . 
I love honey and I always have several jars in the larder. Runny varities, Italian, French sunflower and lavender, Greek with it's lovely licorace flavour and good old clover honey. I also love set honey, all creamy and white and spread onto thick slices of toasted and buttery home made bread . . . carrots are delicious steamed and then glazed with butter and honey . . .
A variety of flours, organic and stone ground, French, plain, self raising, strong (both white and brown) whole wheat, malt, spelt. They all have their uses, but, please, only keep what you are going to use within a few weeks to hand on the shelves. Store the rest in the freezer as it can go rancid very quickly.
I like to keep quite a few different sugars . . . light and dark soft brown, caster and granulated white, golden caster, icing sugar, dark and light muscovado, demerara, lump sugar. They all have their uses. I also keep a variety of syrups such as Golden, Dark Treacle, Molasses and Maple.
I love Maldon Sea Salt and French fleur de sel. I use them in almost all my cooking. I do keep a large tin of household salt as well, along with a variety of pepper corns . . . green, pink, black and a lovely mixture of the three.
Garlic both regular and smoked, and shallots and onions, both brown cooking and red. These are a must for me, and used often.
A variety of good quality dried herbs and spices. I have quite a few different ones and I use them all frequently. I do love fresh herbs, but the uses of a good quality bottled herb cannot be underestimated.
One thing that I absolutely love and adore is unearthed barrel aged feta cheese. I know this is kept in the fridge but I just couldn't not mention it. It's wonderfully delicious and worth every penny. I also keep a good Parmesan Reggiano that I grate myself and a variety of different strengths of cheddars.
I also have a weakness for Danish butter. It's very good, and I always have several pounds of it in the fridge and freezer, sweet and salted, not to mention some good vegetable shortening.
This is by no means an extensive list of all the things that one should have in their larders, but just a few of my favourite things. It goes without saying that one should keep a variety of tinned fishes as well as fresh fruits and vegetables amongst other things, and I do. I just thought it would be fun to talk about some of my most beloved ingredients.
One thing that you are never short of if you keep bananas, eggs and milk around is a tasty bowl of bananas and custard, my Todd's dessert of choice. Old fashioned yes, delicious yes, satisfyingly comforting, yes . . .
*Bananas and Custard*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
You can call it many names . . . creme de la vanille, creme anglaise . . . it matters not. It's all vanilla custard and it is wonderfully delicious when properly made and homemade. Why anyone would ever bother with the powdered version when they can make it so easily from scratch is beyond my comprehension!
1 pint whole milk (2 cups)
1 vanilla pod
4 egg yolks
1 TBS caster sugar
4 medium bananas
Put the milk in a saucepan. Slit the vanilla pod down the centre and scrape out the seeds into the milk with a sharp knife. Drop the split pod into the milk as well. Heat the milk over a medium heat, just until you see bubbles forming around the edges. Remove from the heat and remove the vanilla pod. (Just rinse it off and dry it and you can then stick it into your sugar bin where it will give your sugar a lovely flavour and fragrance . . . no worries and no waste.)
Beat together the egg yolks and the sugar. Pour the hot milk over top of it very slowly, whisking constantly. Strain the mixture into the top of a double boiler. Place over the top of the bottom of the double boiler over simmering water and cook ove rvery low heat, stirring all the time. When it thickens to the consistency of double cream (it should coat the back of your spoon), remove it from the heat and pour it straight into a bowl to reduce the heat. Let cool to warm, before proceeding.
The secret to successful custard is to not be in a hurry. If the worse happens and it starts to separate, whizz it in the blender. You can of course, pre-empt this problem by adding a small teaspoon of cornstarch to the egg yolks before adding the milk.
Peel and slice the bananas into four dessert dishes. Spoon the warm custard over top of them and serve.
A variety of flours, organic and stone ground, French, plain, self raising, strong (both white and brown) whole wheat, malt, spelt. They all have their uses, but, please, only keep what you are going to use within a few weeks to hand on the shelves. Store the rest in the freezer as it can go rancid very quickly.
I like to keep quite a few different sugars . . . light and dark soft brown, caster and granulated white, golden caster, icing sugar, dark and light muscovado, demerara, lump sugar. They all have their uses. I also keep a variety of syrups such as Golden, Dark Treacle, Molasses and Maple.
I love Maldon Sea Salt and French fleur de sel. I use them in almost all my cooking. I do keep a large tin of household salt as well, along with a variety of pepper corns . . . green, pink, black and a lovely mixture of the three.
Garlic both regular and smoked, and shallots and onions, both brown cooking and red. These are a must for me, and used often.
A variety of good quality dried herbs and spices. I have quite a few different ones and I use them all frequently. I do love fresh herbs, but the uses of a good quality bottled herb cannot be underestimated.
One thing that I absolutely love and adore is unearthed barrel aged feta cheese. I know this is kept in the fridge but I just couldn't not mention it. It's wonderfully delicious and worth every penny. I also keep a good Parmesan Reggiano that I grate myself and a variety of different strengths of cheddars.
I also have a weakness for Danish butter. It's very good, and I always have several pounds of it in the fridge and freezer, sweet and salted, not to mention some good vegetable shortening.
This is by no means an extensive list of all the things that one should have in their larders, but just a few of my favourite things. It goes without saying that one should keep a variety of tinned fishes as well as fresh fruits and vegetables amongst other things, and I do. I just thought it would be fun to talk about some of my most beloved ingredients.
One thing that you are never short of if you keep bananas, eggs and milk around is a tasty bowl of bananas and custard, my Todd's dessert of choice. Old fashioned yes, delicious yes, satisfyingly comforting, yes . . .
*Bananas and Custard*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
You can call it many names . . . creme de la vanille, creme anglaise . . . it matters not. It's all vanilla custard and it is wonderfully delicious when properly made and homemade. Why anyone would ever bother with the powdered version when they can make it so easily from scratch is beyond my comprehension!
1 pint whole milk (2 cups)
1 vanilla pod
4 egg yolks
1 TBS caster sugar
4 medium bananas
Put the milk in a saucepan. Slit the vanilla pod down the centre and scrape out the seeds into the milk with a sharp knife. Drop the split pod into the milk as well. Heat the milk over a medium heat, just until you see bubbles forming around the edges. Remove from the heat and remove the vanilla pod. (Just rinse it off and dry it and you can then stick it into your sugar bin where it will give your sugar a lovely flavour and fragrance . . . no worries and no waste.)
Beat together the egg yolks and the sugar. Pour the hot milk over top of it very slowly, whisking constantly. Strain the mixture into the top of a double boiler. Place over the top of the bottom of the double boiler over simmering water and cook ove rvery low heat, stirring all the time. When it thickens to the consistency of double cream (it should coat the back of your spoon), remove it from the heat and pour it straight into a bowl to reduce the heat. Let cool to warm, before proceeding.
The secret to successful custard is to not be in a hurry. If the worse happens and it starts to separate, whizz it in the blender. You can of course, pre-empt this problem by adding a small teaspoon of cornstarch to the egg yolks before adding the milk.
Peel and slice the bananas into four dessert dishes. Spoon the warm custard over top of them and serve.
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