When we were in town the other day I saw this sandwich advertised on one of the little cafe windows. I think it was an Italian one.
It sounded fabulous. Cranberry, Bacon and Brie Panini. What's not to like about that!
That very day I bought a wedge of Brie at the cheese mongers in the Market. I was already formulating a plan in my head.
I already had some nice dry cure streaky bacon in the fridge. I like to buy dry cure bacon. It's not pumped full of water. I hate bacon that has been pumped full of water. The dry cure bacon fries like a dream and tastes a bazillion times better.
I used a spicy cranberry chutney, because I rather like that. But regular cranberry sauce would be delicious as well I think. I just happened to have some of my homemade Cranberry Chutney to use.
I also added some greenery . . . mustard cress, for colour and for a bit of a peppery bite. But you can use any microgreen you want, or even just leave greens out altogether.
Some nice fresh Panini rolls and Bob's your Uncle! These went down a real treat. They were rich and smokey and sweet and salty . . . deliciously scrummy.
I do so love a good sandwich. I applaud the Earl of Sandwich who supposedly invented the Sandwich. He was on to a really good thing for sure.
Even my husband who is basically a "cheddar" man loved them. Seriously the man thinks that only cheese worth eating is cheddar.
He complained when we were in France a few years ago and we couldn't get any. Any cheese of the world you could imagine . . . but no cheddar. If it's not cheddar it's not cheese as far as he's concerned!
*Cranberry, Bacon and Brie Panini*
for two
Printable Recipe
Fabulously moreish panini. Salty and sweet, rich and a bit peppery from the mustard cress.
two panini buns
6 rashers of streaky bacon, cooked to your desired doneness
4 slices of brie cheese
a handful of mustard cress (can use rocket or watercress)
4 TBS cranberry sauce
butter
Cut
your panini buns in half horizontally. Spread the bottom half of
each with 2 TBS of the cranberry sauce. Top with 2 slices of Brie on
each some cress and 3 slices of bacon. Place the panini bun tops on
each. Butter lightly on the outsides and then toast in a panini press,
or in a hot skillet just until golden and the cheese has begun to
melt. Serve hot and cut in half on the diagonal.
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!
FOR CHEWIER BACON
You get a chew finish on your bacon when you bake it directly on the baking tray. (Depending on how long you cook it for that is. Obviously if you leave it in for a longer time than suggested you will get a crisper finish.)
Chicken Stuffed Rolls
ingredients:
instructions:
mark 5. Have ready a baking dish with sides large enough to hold all of
your rolls in a single layer.
chicken, cheese, spring onions, seasoning and salad dressing to combine
well. Slice your rolls in half through the middle horizontally. Spread
a portion of the chicken filling onto the bottom of each roll, dividing
it equally. Top with the tops of the rolls. Cover and seal in the
baking dish with some aluminium foil. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until
the cheese has melted and they are heated through. Let stand for about
10 minutes prior to serving.
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!
One of my favourite television shows over here has to be Larkrise to Candleford. Based on a trilogy of novels written by the author, Flora Thompson about the countryside of north-east Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire at the end of the 19th Century, neither Todd nor I have ever missed an episode in all of the three series that have come out now. In fact we purchased them on DVD so that we could treat ourselves to turn-of-the-century village life anytime we wanted to!
A reader recently contacted me, and asked me if I had any knowledge of the type of food that would have been cooked in that era. An American, he and his wife are also great fans of the show, and were very curious about a cake that they had seen the old cook beating together in a bowl during one episode in series one.
Well, since the series takes place in the late Victorian era, I would have to say, without a doubt and with fair certainty, that it was probably a Victoria Sponge, or Victoria Sandwich Cake . . . a lovely buttery sponge cake that would have benefited greatly by some strong armed beating in a bowl.
It was the Victorians that invented this lovely cake by adding butter to an ordinary sponge mixture, which baked better in two flat tins rather than one deep tin. (Oh those Victorians, they were very clever at inventing things I have to say!)
The two cakes were then stuck together with a layer of tasty jam. According to Victorian manuals of the day, sponge cakes would have been made more for the nursery tea table than the drawing room, but we won't quibble the facts . . . the fact is that this cake is delicious, and I would serve it to anyone, child or adult!!
This is just the sort of cake one would imagine Dorcas and her employees at the Post Office sitting down to late in the afternoon . . . teatime . . . a china pot of steaming, freshly made tea at the ready to be served along side of lovely thick slabs of this moist and delicious sponge.
This is a real favourite around this house, and more or less tends to get treated like an ordinary every day kind of cake . . . but upon reflection, I know not why . . . coz it is fine enough to please even the most discerning of palates, and is anything but ordinary!!
I think Dorcas Lane would highly approve . . . it surely being my only weakness . . . something of which she knows full well . . . of this we would be in agreement. (Recipe adapted from the WI Cakes Cookery Book by Liz Herbert. If there is one thing the WI know alot about, it's baking cakes!)
*Traditional Victorian Sandwich Cake*
Makes one 7 inch cake
Printable Recipe
Popular during the reign of Qyeen Victoria, this cake remains popular to this day, which is a huge testament to it's taste and ease of baking! Don't be tempted to use all butter. This is one recipe that is better for the use of a mixture of butter and margarine.
3 ounces of butter, softened (6 TBS)
3 ounces soft margarine (6 TBS)
6 ounces caster sugar (1 cup)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs, beaten
6 ounces 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, margarine, 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.
By the way Commentor #63, Sheilagh, a Random Numbers Generator has picked you as the winner of the Delightful Hamper Giveaway. Contact me with your details and I will let the HamperGift people know where to send it. Thanks so much to everyone who participated and joined in on the fun. I wish you could all be winners. Don't be too disappointed though as I will soon be hosting another giveway hosted by the lovely people at Kellogg's . . . yes the people who bring us all those delicious breakfast cereals!

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