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Showing posts sorted by date for query sandwich. Sort by relevance Show all posts
The Victoria Sponge is one of my absolute favourite of all the cakes. There is nothing fancy about it. It is just a plain simple sponge, which when mixed and baked properly, results in a fine cake that everyone loves. If I had to choose between this and a chocolate cake, I would choose this every time. I know . . . I'm not normal, lol.
Two buttery layers put together with jam and vanilla buttercream, and then dusted on top with confectioners or caster sugar, this is the quintessential "Tea Party Cake."
It's popularity was achieved during the reign of Queen Victoria, which is probably why it is called a Victoria Sponge Cake! The ingredients in a traditional Victoria Sponge, sometimes called a Victoria Sandwich cake, are eggs, flour, sugar, and butter, and should be of equal weight; the eggs are weighed in their shell.
Truth be told however, it began as a "Nursery" cake during the reign of Queen Victoria when it was believed that children would perhaps choke on the dried fruit of a traditional fruit cake which would have been served for tea. An inventive baker came up with the Victoria Sponge for a children's teatime treat, and eventually the cake made its way to the adult tea table and the rest is history.
*Victoria Sponge Cake*
Makes one 7 inch cake
Printable Recipe
Popular during the reign of Queen Victoria, this cake remains popular to this day, which is a huge testament to it's taste and ease of baking!
Printable Recipe
Popular during the reign of Queen Victoria, this cake remains popular to this day, which is a huge testament to it's taste and ease of baking!
170g butter (12 TBS)
170g caster sugar (1 cup)1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 large free range eggs, beaten
170g self raising flour (a scant 1 1/2 cups)
To finish:
3 TBS raspberry jam
buttercream to fill (optional)
icing sugar or caster sugar to dust the top
Butter and base line two 7 inch sandwich tins. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.
Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together until light in colour and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. If the mixture begins to curdle, add a spoonful of the flour.
Fold in the flour with a metal spoon, taking care to use a cutting motion so as not to knock out too much of the air that you have beaten into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake tins, leveling off the surface. Make a slight dip in the centre of each.
Bake on a centre rack of the oven for
about 25 minutes, or until the sponges have risen well, are golden
brown, and spring back when lightly touched. Allow to cool in the pan
for five minutes before running a knife carefully around the edges and
turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, place one layer on a cake plate. Spread with raspberry jam and buttercream (if using). Place the other cake on top, pressing down lightly. Dust with icing or caster sugar and serve.
Alternately you can bake the batter in a mini cake tin. I have a tin that allows you to make six individual cakes. Just butter, line the bottoms and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Split and fill the finished cakes as above.
HANDY TIP ALERT!
For an easy way to cut small cakes, or large cakes for that matter,
perfectly in half horizontally . . . cut yourself a nice long piece of
dental floss (preferably not flavoured) that fits around the cake with
enough over hang to grip decently. Place it around the centre of the
cake, crossing the floss ends over each other in front.
Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
Bon Appetit!
We had a lovely weekend weatherwise last weekend. Salad weather. Well, I thought it was salad weather anyways. Todd was not so sure! It was nice to have drier, sunnier days however, and to me that spells Salad weather! I do love my comfort food in the Winter, but long about this time of year I start to craving salads!
This simple and easy to make salad encompasses all of the things you love about the classic BLT Sandwich.
With lovely chunks of ripe tomato, bits of crisp bacon, and crunchy romaine lettuce, chopped red onion, all mixed with some cooked pasta and a fabulous punchy lemon mayo dressing. Some crunchy croutons (I used bacon flavoured ones this time) are it's crowning touch!
*BLT Salad*
Serves 8
black pepper to taste
100g of dry pasta shapes (3/4 cup)
1 (20g) pack of crisp bread croutons ( about 1/2 cup)
Note - If you wish to make this ahead, leave out the lettuce and the croutons until just prior to serving. Bon Appetit!
I just love, love, LOVE the traditional recipes of the UK. All those years I spent ensconced in Enid Blyton books, drooling and dreaming over what sounded like exotic foods . . . well, those dreams and imaginations have come true for me since I arrived in the UK.
I had the opportunity to go to Costco the other day with a friend and I stocked up on All Beef Hot Dogs. I love hotdogs, and I really like the all beef ones.
The only place you can get all beef hot dogs over here in the UK is at Costco, so when I get the chance to go, I stock up on them and bang them into the freezer. Their dogs are really good and have no fillers and a nice crisp skin.
I know that hotdogs are not the healthiest thing you could be eating, but every now and again, a bit of what you really enjoy does a person the world of good!
My mother made the best hotdogs in the world. She had a waffle/grill iron that you could use either as a grill or a waffle maker. Every Friday night she would fire up the grill plates in prep for Friday night hotdog night.
She didn't use quality dogs, just Larsens and they were not my favourite things . . . ordinarily, but her treatment with them made even a Larsen's hotdog taste good.
First off the buns would be buttered on the outsides and then toasted in the grill. She did this just like a grilled cheese sandwich.
They ended up all buttery and toasty on the surface, but still hot and steamy soft inside . . . delicious!
The weiners/franks would be split down the length almost all the way through so that they opened up like a book.
These would be placed cut side down onto the grill and then it would be shut and they would grill until golden brown on both sides.
If you have never tasted a weiner/frank that has been toasted in just this manner you have been missing out on something really special . . . they are quite simply wonderful. That was her secret.
Just the split weiners and the toasted buns. We added our own toppings. I like mustard and relish and have never ever been able to abide tomato catsup on any kind of bread! Its just one of my quirks!
I don't have a fancy grill/press. I did have a lovely cuisineart one, but it stopped working after using it a couple of times and I have never bothered to replace it.
Too expensive. I make do with my Pampered Chef grill pan and a baking sheet and some heavy weights. They get the job done.
The other day I added cheese which melted down over those toasty franks gilding them to perfection . . . I served them with sweet potato fries and we were in hot dog heaven.
I confess . . . I had one of the leftovers reheated in the microwave for breakfast the next morning and I was one very happy gluttonous camper!
*Grilled Cheese Dogs*
Serves 6
softened butter for spreading
6 frankfurters
You know it really is the simple things in life which bring me the most pleasure! 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!
When I was a young woman, I couldn't really afford to buy cookery books. With a growing family to care for and being a stay at home mom, cookery books were not in my budget. I used to handwrite out recipes gleaned from library books and friends and magazines into notebooks. This is one of those recipes and I can no longer remember if it came from a book, magazine or a friend, or if it was an exeriment of my own that worked out well. I tend to think that it is the latter due to the simplicity of it. Simple recipes are often the best ones don't you think?
For those of you who don't know, my father is a French Canadian, bred and born in the Saguenay Region of Quebec where he lived until he joined the Canadian Military way back when. My childhood was embroidered with the traditional foods of my mother's English/German ancestry and my father's French traditions.
Some of the French dishes may have been slightly adapted to my mother's tastes and skills in translation, but I believe at the very essence they stayed the same.
One of my favourite things has always been the Beef Dip Sandwich.
A beef dip is a sandwich composed of shaved roast beef in a toasted baguette that you dip in a hearty beef broth to eat. Scrummo! I love em!
I also love a good burger . . . and really, who doesn't??
I also love a good burger . . . and really, who doesn't??
This recipe I am showing you today combine the two, with a hearty burger served up in toasted French Bread with a beef broth dip.
I used low salt Soy Sauce in both the meat mix for the burger and in the broth for the dip. I like to try to cut back the salt in our diets as much as possible.
You can by all means use regular soy sauce. It is quite delicious either way.
This is not complicated in the least and very easy to make. Its also quick AND economical!!!! This is not a budget buster by any stretch.
I do use extra lean ground steak which is a bit more pricey than hamburger would be, but then I don't have to pour half of it away in fat and grease.
Hearty, filling, economical and easy. A real family pleaser. What more could you ask for!
A restaurant favourite served up at home with a delicious twist!
1 package of dry onion soup mix (If you can't get the family sized packet, use three single
serving size packets)
2 TBS soy sauce
1 pound of extra lean minced steak
8 (1/2 inch thick) pieces of French Bread, sliced on the diagonal
For the Dip:
250ml of boiling water (1 1/4 cups)
1 beef stock pot
1 TBS low salt soy sauce
cracked black pepper to taste
chopped fresh parsley and sliced dill pickles for garnish (optional)
Heat the grill or broiler in your oven to high. Combine the water, stock pot, soy sauce and pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, then keep warm at a low simmer until you are ready to eat.
In a medium bowl, combine the minced steak, soup mix, soy sauce, garlic and black pepper. Mix together well and then divide into 4 equal portions. Pat each portion lightly into an oval shaped patty about 1/2 inch thick and large enough to cover the bread.
Place the patties under the broiler/grill (heat to high) and broil for 5 to 6 minutes per side until nicely browned and thoroughly cooked, turning once.
While the meat patties are grilling, toast the bread and butter them on one side.
Place each patty between two slices of toast, buttered side out and cut in half on the diagonal. Place two halves onto each of four heated plates along with a small bowl of the dip for each. Garnish with some sliced dills and chopped parsley if desired. Serve immediately.
*French Dip Burgers*
Serves 4
A restaurant favourite served up at home with a delicious twist!
1 package of dry onion soup mix (If you can't get the family sized packet, use three single
serving size packets)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper or to taste
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed2 TBS soy sauce
1 pound of extra lean minced steak
8 (1/2 inch thick) pieces of French Bread, sliced on the diagonal
softened butter
For the Dip:
1 beef stock pot
1 TBS low salt soy sauce
cracked black pepper to taste
chopped fresh parsley and sliced dill pickles for garnish (optional)
Heat the grill or broiler in your oven to high. Combine the water, stock pot, soy sauce and pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, then keep warm at a low simmer until you are ready to eat.
In a medium bowl, combine the minced steak, soup mix, soy sauce, garlic and black pepper. Mix together well and then divide into 4 equal portions. Pat each portion lightly into an oval shaped patty about 1/2 inch thick and large enough to cover the bread.
Place the patties under the broiler/grill (heat to high) and broil for 5 to 6 minutes per side until nicely browned and thoroughly cooked, turning once.
While the meat patties are grilling, toast the bread and butter them on one side.
Place each patty between two slices of toast, buttered side out and cut in half on the diagonal. Place two halves onto each of four heated plates along with a small bowl of the dip for each. Garnish with some sliced dills and chopped parsley if desired. Serve immediately.
These are delicious and just that little bit different. My husband really loves them, and I confess I do too! Bon Appetit!
This delicious casserole is the perfect way to use up some of the leftovers from your Christas dinner, using up some of the turkey (of course) stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, etc. It's delicious and there is also cheese in the mix. Oh but it is some good!
We are not partakers of red meat very often. When we do it is usually in the form of a roast or pork chops, sometimes a stew . . . sausages. Maybe we might have red meat about once every two weeks if that. Todd does love a good chop and he adores this BBQ Pork that I make from time to time. Its done in the oven, not on the BBQ, but it has a lovely spicy rub and I serve it with a zingy sauce for dipping!
Children have early morning sports and club activities to dash off to, early morning buses to catch . . . mom and dad are trying to get everything sorted, showered and fed before they have to dash off to work . . . and the list goes on and on. It soon becomes far much easier to pick up a donut at the coffee shop on the way in, or feed the hungry babes with a pop tart or other equally as chemical and additive filled portable "breakfast" goodie. Not good . . . they might taste good . . . but they are just not good for you.
Wholesome and hearty muffins, baked with natural ingredients are a delicious and healthier alternative to a fast food breakfast sandwich or other "quick" choice. Taste tempting muffins such as these fabulous ones shown here today . . .
Muffins made with whole grains . . . fruit, not a lot of fat, not a lot of sweetening . . . filling and tasty nonetheless . . . and reasonably sized, not gargantuan. A muffin is supposed to be a muffin . . . not a cake baked in a muffin tin.
Breakfast on the go. Portable goodness. Very easy to bake ahead and freeze, and then just take out as and when you are wanting something quick, and wholesome . . . and filling. This will put some lead in your pencil and help to get you and your family through the morning without finding yourself hungry again half an hour down the road, and so starving by elevensies that you grab something very bad for you like a candy bar or a bag of crisps . . .
The low fat buttermilk makes them moist . . . sweetened naturally with some maple syrup and muscovado sugar . . . whole bran cereal and unbleached plain flour . . . naturally sweet sultanas, high in fibre and low in fat. These are my breakfast winners! (Sans the butter, of course!! What can I say . . . I felt like indulging myself this morning . . . I can sometimes be quite naughty.)
*Everyday Maple, Bran and Sultana Muffins*
Makes 12 medium muffins
Printable Recipe
I like my Bran Muffins chock full of raisins, but feel free to subsitute other dried fruits such as blueberries, cranberries or chopped apricots or dates.
Moist and delicious muffins! Not too sweet. I bake these and then store them in the freezer. Then I take them out, one or two at a time and just reheat them for a few seconds in the microwave.
375ml of low fat buttermilk (1 1/2 cups)
2 large free range eggs
4 TBS unsalted butter, melted
60ml of sunflower oil (1/4 cup)
60ml of pure maple syrup (1/4 cup)
50g of all bran cereal (about 1 1/2 cups)
225g of raisins (1 1/2 cups)
100g of plain flour (1 cup)
30g of wheat or oat bran (1/2 cup)
50g of soft light brown muscovado sugar (1/4 cup packed)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
50g of toasted chopped walnuts, or pecans (1/2 cup) (optional)
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Butter a standard sized 12 cup metal muffin tin(2 1/2 inch diameter cups) really well, including the top of the pan. Set aside.
Combine the buttermilk, butter, eggs, oil, maple syrup, bran cereal and raisins in a large bowl. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to soften the bran and plump the raisins.
Bon Appetit!
I made a nice Macaroni and Cheese for supper one night at the weekend and had a bit extra mac and cheese that didn't fit into the casserole dish. I hate waste and so I decided to do what any who loves to cook, loves to eat and hates waste would do. I created something tasty with it. Don't shoot me because once you see this, your life will never be the same again. 💕 Sorry about that!
Meet the Grilled Mac, Cheese and Pancetta Sandwich. I know . . . I can't help it, the wheels in my culinary head are always turning.
I can't claim to have invented this . . . but it's new to me. If you've already done this, I haven't stolen your recipe. We are just great minds that think alike! (What a fab idea to think that the world is filled with great minds thinking alike!) They say there is nothing new under the sun, only new ways of doing things. I expect that is true.
This is so tasty . . . yes . . . more than tad bit hedonistic to be sure. But once in a blue moon a gal just has to do what a gal has to do . . . and as you know by now I like to push the envelope a tad bit now and then.
Each bite brings the taste of buttery toasted bread |(Garlicky if you have used garlic mayo instead of butter), salty crisp pancetta and creamy peppery macaroni and cheese! WOWSA! This was FABULOUS!
I was too afraid to eat the whole thing. My arteries were constricting just thinking about it so I tortured the Toddster with half of it. He seemed to enjoy it as well. Now I am pondering what else I can do to this to take it even further over the top. Any ideas??? (I think some rocket/arugula would be a nice addition. Next time!!)
*Grilled Pancetta, Mac & Cheese Sarnies*
Makes onea small handful of grated cheddar cheese Fresh ground black pepper
Butter
the outsides of the bread with some softened butter or garlic
mayonnaise. Place the grated cheese on the un-buttered side of one
slice of bread and spread the macaroni and cheese on the un-buttered
side of the other slice. Grind a goodly amount of black pepper on the
macaroni and cheese. Lay the slices of cooked pancetta on top of the
cheese on the other slice. Carefully press the two sides together,
taking care that the plain buttered sides are on the outside. Heat a
small nonstick skillet. Carefully add the sandwich and brown first on
one side, then flip over and brown on the other side. Wait a few
minutes and then slice into halves or quarters and enjoy!
You can find a really good Mac & Cheese recipe here.
When I first moved over here twelve years ago . . . there were some things that you just couldn't find. Things like Betty Crocker cake mixes, Marshmallow Fluff, and Skippy Peanut Butter, amongst other things. You never know what you will miss until you can't have it any more . . .
Over those years I have had to learn to adapt some of my favourite recipes to use other ingredients that are available over here . . . but there were still some things that you just couldn't adapt no way . . . no how. I used to bring back oodles of stuff each time I went over to Canada to visit my family. Todd used to do a lot of moaning about that . . . but I just reminded him of how he would feel if he couldn't get marmite anymore!
Its Bon Fire Night here in the UK. The night when all over the country people light bonfires and shoot off fireworks to commemorate Guy Fawkes failed attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament in the year 1605. You can read more about that here. Its also a night when people like to enjoy bonfire types of foods, like sausages (bangers), hot soups, and hearty cakes like parkin and gingerbread.
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