With this being pancake day, I bet you were expecting to see a recipe for pancakes. You can find my recipe for Rise and Shine Buttermilk Pancakes over HERE. But I had other things on my mind last night. There's also a delicious link to my friend Erin's fantastic buttermilk syrup. The two together area absolute bliss . . .



We will probably have pancakes for our supper tonight, and I'll probably use Delia's Recipe. I reckon it is the best British pancake recipe, and can't be improved upon. We'll have them sprinkled with some castor sugar and lemon juice and they'll be just wonderful. We will really enjoy them, we really will!!



But right now as I write this, it's late Monday afternoon . . . and there are no pancakes in sight. There are these really tasty little Raspberry Jam tartlettes that I made earlier today though. Will they do???



I know, the recipe says Raspberry Jam Bars, but . . . if you cut them with a little round cutter, they become tartlettes. I think tartlettes look much tastier than squares, don't you?



Perfect little buttery bites, filled with crunchy oats and toasted almonds, and sweet raspberry jam. A delicious two bite snack, perfection . . . in every way.



Incredibly moreishly scrummy . . . almost too dangerous to be around. Trust me on this . . . but go ahead . . . you know you want to . . . lick the screen . .

Resistance is . . . futile.




*Raspberry Jam Bars*
Makes 16 squares, or 10 tarts
Printable Recipe

140g (1 cup) flour
pinch salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
4 ounces (8 TBS) unsalted butter at room temperature
85g (1/2 cup) packed dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
50g (1/2 cup) oats
(not instant oats)
50g (1/2 cup) sliced almonds
4 heaped dessertspoons of seedless raspberry jam

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Line an 8 inch square baking tin with aluminium foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir this mixture into the creamed mixture. Stir in the oats and sliced almonds. Reserve 1.2 cup of this mixture and set it aside. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Dollop the raspberry jam over top and spread it out with a rubber spatula to within 1/2 inch of the sides of the pan all around. Crumble the reserved oat mixture evenly over top.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the dough is golden brown and the jam is lightly bubbling. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Use the foil overhang to lift the baked mixture out of the pan. Cut into 16 squares with a sharp knife, or using a sharp two inch round cutter, cut it into small round tartlettes.

In North America, a pudding would be described as being a dessert . . . created from milk, sugar, eggs and flavouring . . . soft and spoonable . . . not quite a custard, but . . . very similar.

Over here in the UK, however . . . the term pudding is used to describe any manner of prepared sweets that would come under the classification of desserts.



In fact . . . the dessert course is, more often than not, referred to as . . . "the Pudding."



If there is one thing that the British do better than any other culture, it is puddings!

Oh my goodness, they make my head swoon . . . delicious cakes and crumbles . . . pies and tarts . . . custards and flans . . . there is no end to the variety of puddings available to drool over.



British puddings have a very long and honourable tradition. Comforting, and homely, they are a well anticipated part of any meal, celebratory or otherwise . . . and for a great many children throughout the years, they have been the best part of most School dinners!!



One of our favourite puddings has to be Queen of Puddings. A delicious, old fashioned baked pudding composed of simple and humble ingredients . . .

soft bread crumbs, eggs, milk and jam. Only the British could take such something as simple as these things, and create something totally scrumptious.

One spoonful and I think you'll agree that it is not hard to reason why this pudding is called the Queen . . .

"We" are most impressed . . .




*Queen of Puddings*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

With it's beautiful cloud of meringue floating on top, it's not hard to see why this is called "Queen of Puddings." It is certainly one of the lightest and most mouthwatering puddings ever . . certainly fit for the royalty in this house!

1 pint whole milk
1/2 ounce butter
4 ounces fresh white bread crumbs
2 ounces caster sugar, divided, plus 1 tsp.
the grated rind of one unwaxed lemon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
pinch of salt
3 TBS of raspberry jam

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Generously butter a 1 1/2 pint glass baking dish. Set aside.

Place the milk along with the lemon rind and bring just to the boiling point over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs and 1 ounce of the sugarsugar. Set aslide to infuse for 20 minutes.

Separate the eggs, putting the whites into a clean glass bowl, free from any grease. Beat the yolks and then beat them into the breadcrumb mixture. Pour this bread custard into the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or just until set. Remove from the oven.

Heat the jam until it melts and then spread it evenly over top of the baked pudding.

Beat the egg whites along with a pinch of salt until foamy. Continue to beat, adding the remaining 1 ounce of sugar slowly, beating them until they form stiff peaks. Spoon this mixture evenly over top of the jam. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining tsp of sugar.

Place back in the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the meringue is golden brown. Serve warm to 4 lucky people!

There is something about Valentines Day that makes me want to spoil my beloved to bits . . .



Maybe it's because we found each other so late in life and I am wanting to make up for lost time . . .



Maybe it's because I just think he is the sweetest most adorable man alive . . .



Maybe it's because he usually spoils me to bits . . .

and then again . . .




Maybe it's because I feel like eating fluffy ricotta pancakes myself!!! *tee hee*

Totally deliciously moreishly fluffy and taste temptingly scrumdiddlyumptious!



*Fluffy Ricotta Pancakes*
Serves 3 to 4
Printable Recipe

These fluffy pancakes have a deliciously creamy texture. They make a particularly scrumptious breakfast for that special someone in your life, but they also make a delicious dessert when topped with sweetened whipped cream!

4 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
310g ricotta
190ml milk
9oz plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
the grated zest of two lemons
icing sugar
170g fresh raspberries
Acacia honey, or some other flavourful honey
oil for cooking



Beat the milk, egg yolks, flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest together in a bowl, until well blended. Stir in the ricotta cheese and blend in gently, leaving some of the curds whole.

In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they hold stiff peaks. Stir about 1/3 of the egg whites into the ricotta mixture, and then gently fold in the remaining whites with a rubber spatula.

Grease a griddle or a large nonstick skillet with some oil. Heat over medium high heat until hot. Drop heaped spoonfuls of the batter onto the heated pan and cook until the undersides are a lacy golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip over and cook the other side in the remaining way. Keep them warm, covered with a kitchen towel, until all are cooked.

Serve the pancakes warm, sprinkling each serving with some icing sugar, a portion of the fresh raspberries and a drizzle of the honey.

There is something very tempting and delicious about almond macaroons . . .



Perhaps it's that tiny bit of resistance on the outside as you sink your teeth into one . . . that crispy sweet exterior that is so very, very moreish . . .



Or maybe it's their exquisitely soft melt-in your-mouth interior . . . flavoured with ground almonds . . . sweet and almost chewy . . . scrummy, scrummy, scrummy . . .



Could it be the nutty crunch of that lovely toasted almond which sits on the top ? ? ?

Who knows . . . whatever it is . . . it has me coming back for . . . one . . . more . . . bite.

Again . . . and again . . . these little babies are addictive.



*Almond Macaroons*
makes one dozen
Printable Recipe

Who doesn't love a sweet macaroon, crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside and full of delicious almond flavours!

4 ounces ground almonds
1 1/2 to 2 egg whites
5 ounces caster sugar
12 blanched almond halves
icing sugar to dust (optional)

Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Line a baking tray with silicone paper or parchment. Set aside.

Beat the egg whites with a fork until foamy. Put the ground almonds into a food processor and process until very fine. This should take about 15 seconds. Add 1/4 of the egg whites. Process for 10 seconds. Add half of the sugar. Process for 10 seconds. Add another 1/4 of the egg whites and the remaining sugar. Process for another 10 seconds. Add a further 1/4 of the egg whites. Process again. The mixture should be quite soft, but you should be able to shape it into 12 balls the size of a walnut. If you think the mixture is too stiff, add the remaining egg white.

Place the balls 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheet. Brush all over with cold water and then drop 1/2 an almond on each. Bake for 15 to 16 minutes, until lightly browned. Take care not to overbake. They should be crisp on the outside, but still moist and chewy on the insides. Remove from the oven to a wire rack to cool.

Dust with icing sugar if desired. Store in an airtight container.

What can you do when you get home from work, and you are absolutely starving . . . you've had a long day . . . and the last thing you want to do is spend another couple of hours on your feet cooking ????

You want something tasty . . . and you want it NOW!



A Spanish Omelette is the answer. It uses really simple ingredients, and is quick and easy to do. If you have potatoes, onions and eggs, you have all you need to make a basic Spanish Omelette.



I have jazzed it up a bit by adding some sliced black olives here, and of course some chopped parsley. But you could also add some cooked and crumbled sausage if you were wanting something meatier, or some lightly sauteed sliced chorizo . . . bits of ham and cheese are good too.



Simple, tasty, filling and scrumdiddlyumptious!!! We like to have salad on the side with ours.

Ok, ok . . . "I" like to have salad on the side . . . Todd kinda, sorta "tolerates" salad on the side . . . meh . . . what does he know??? Everything he ate came out of a tin can before we met.



The nice thing about this is, the leftovers are really tasty for lunch the next day, and to take on picnics . . . not that we are doing a lot of picnicking just at the moment . . . but . . . you know, spring is just around the corner!



*Spanish Omelette With Olives*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Tasty, tasty, tasty. Easy too!

Extra virgin olive oil
500g medium waxy potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
150ml water
3 medium onions, peeled, halved and sliced thinly into half moons
6 medium free range eggs
3 TBS coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
125g pitted black olives, halved

Heat 2 TBS of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the potato slices and cook, then for about 5 minutes or so, turning them now and again, until they are completely coated with the oil. Season with some salt and then add the water. Cover with a tightly fitted lid and turn the heat to low. Cook, covered for 10 to 15 minutes, giving them a bit of a stir halfway through the cooking time. Drain well, when tender. ( A knife will pierce them quite easily) Set aside in the pan, covered, until ready to use.

Heat another couple of tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook gently for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and silky. Stir frequently. Season and then spoon into a bowl. Set aside to cool.

Whisk the eggs with some seasonings in a bowl. Stir in the parsley and the sliced olives. Fold in the onions and potatoes.

Preheat the grill to high. Heat a 10 inch frying pan with a heatproof handle over medium heat. Add 1 TBS of oil. Once it is heated, tip in the egg and potato mixture. Level the surface and then cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until beginning to set. Drizzle with another tablespoon of oil and then place under the grill for 4 to 8 minutes until golden brown. There should still be a slight jiggle in the centre if you are eating it hot. It will firm up as it cools.

One of the things that Todd and I like to do in our spare time is to visit some of the National Trust Houses that are abundant in our beautiful country. There's quite a few and in the warmer months, it's really a lot of fun walking around the gardens and of course nosing through the houses . . . We just find it so very fascinating and a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

Most of the National Trust houses also have tearooms and small restaurants on the grounds. That, of course is also one of the real treats of the day . . . spending an hour in the tea rooms partaking of a delicious cake or bun (all homemade) and a drink.



And then, there is Todd's nemesis . . . the gift shop. He tries to steer me away from them, but . . . I'm on to him now . . . the gift shop is one of the highlights of my afternoon! They are filled with all sorts of treasures . . . jams and jellies, biscuits, candy rock, toys, gardening goods, tea time trinkets and . . . delicious cookery books!

On one of our visits I picked up this lovely cookerybook filled with traditional teatime recipes.

"Food is at the heart of everything the National Trust does. Our commitment to food stretches from using high quality sustainable produce in our restaurants to supporting our tenant farmers in selling direct to the public. With hundreds of tenant farms, more than 25 working kitchen gardens and farms managed by us, the Trust has an important stake in every part of the food journey." (Excerpt from inside flap of the above book)



I just adore the traditional recipes of any country I am in, but most especially the traditional ones from this beautiful country that we live in. Teatime recipes are some of my favourites of all. They hearken me back to my childhood days of reading Enid Blyton novels and dreaming about the delicous sounding teatime treats that the children in them got to gobble down, and I could only dream of . . .



This is a great baking book, chock full of delectable sounding teatime treats! Every recipe I have baked from it thus far has been just wonderful, not the least of which was this tasty banana cake that I baked this afternoon. We sat down to a piece each with a cup of herbal tea, whilst the snow blew against the glass of our kitchen windows, and dreamt of adventures and tuck boxes and . . . warm summer afternoon walks along country garden pathways . . .



Note - the filling is not really thick, but I found that by pooling most of it in the centre, it worked out just perfectly and did not squish out the sides. Also the icing is more like a glaze than a traditional frosting. It is most delicious!



*Cornish Banana Cake*
Makes one 7-inch layer cake
Printable Recipe

Just perfect for afternoon tea! A deliciously moist banana cake layered with a buttery banana filling and iced with a cocoa banana icing.

For the cake:
8 ounces very ripe banana (weight after peeling)
3 1/2 ounces caster sugar
3 1/2 ounces butter, softened
200g self raising flour, sifted
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 TBS milk

For the filling:
1 ripe banana
2 ounces butter, softened
2 ounces caster sugar

For the icing:
1 soft, very ripe banana
1 ounce cocoa powder, sifted
8 ounces icing sugar, sifted



Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Butter two 7-inch round sandwich tins and lightly flour, tapping any excess out. Mash the bananas and sugar together for the cake in a bowl with an electric mixer. Beat in the softened butter. Add the flour alternately with the egg. Dissolve the soda in the milk and add to the mixture. Beat to a fairly sticky batter. Divide evenly between the two tins, smooth the tops and then bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the sponge springs back when lightly touched.

Remove from the oven and turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the filling, beat all the ingredients together until well mixed and use to sandwich the two layers together.

For the icing, beat all the ingredients together until dark and really smooth. Spread onto the top of the cake.

Note - If you like you can decorate the top with some blanched almonds, walnut halves or dried banana chips.

Cherries are one of my favourite things. I know you are thinking . . . what isn't her favourite thing??? Well, the answer is quite simple . . .



I'm allergic to shell fish, so none of that please, and I won't eat anything with antennae or tenticles. Does that make me squeamish? Perhaps . . . but I know I am not alone!



One of my favourite things in a fruit cake has to be the glace cherries . . . next to the candied pineapple and citron of course! I like to use the naturally coloured cherries in my baking, eschewing anything artifically dyed a bright red or green. That means that my cherries always have a somewhat darker colour, but boy oh boy, do they taste good.



I just love cherry scones, but the ones in the shops always have those bright red cherried in them . . . and store bought baked goods always end up tasting a bit disappointing to me. They never quite come up to their promise. Am I alone in thinking that???



I thought so . . . Home baked anything is always infinitely better in my books.

Yesterday I baked Todd a teatime treat of some lovely Cherry and Almond Scones. Not quite as pretty as the ones in the shops, but boy, are they tasty.

They have a delicious short and buttery crumb, with a subtle hint of almond, and are just stogged full of lovely cherries.



Try them today . . . simply buttered, or if you are really feeling hedonistic, add some clotted cream and jam. Delicious!

In for a penny, in for a pound I always say!! The recipe makes a lot, but they do freeze very well.



*Cherry and Almond Scones*
makes about 20 2-inch scones
Printable Recipe

Delicious scones with a tender crumb and chock full of glace cherries and a subtle hint of almond. Serve cold with butter or clotted cream and jam!

450g self raising flour, sifted (3 1/4 cups)
1/2 tsp baking soda
125g softened butter (1/2 cup)
85g caster sugar (scant half cup)
170g glace cherries, roughly chopped (generous cup)
1 large free range egg, beaten
a few drops of almond essence
6 to 7 fluid ounces of milk

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Butter a large baking tray (s). Set aside.

Sift the flour into a large bowl along with the soda. Rub in the butter until it resembles sand. Stir in the sugar and cherries. Add the beaten egg, almond essence and enough of the milk to make a soft dough, but not sticky dough. Knead lightly until smooth. Pat out on a floured board to a thickeness of about 1/2 inch. Cut into rounds with a sharp 2 inch cutter. Place on the prepared baking sheet (s). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until well risen, firm and golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool before serving. Delicious split and buttered or served with clotted cream and jam for a special indulgence.

I've had some requests to sort out the measuring problems that some of you are having in understanding the difference between British and American measures and converting them, so I am posting a handy list here for future reference! Hope this helps!



Converting British weights and measures to American
There are sometimes significant differences between the measures used for ingredients in British and American recipes. For example a British standard tablespoon holds 17.7ml while the American tablespoon has a 14.2 ml capacity. Similarly a British pint measures 20 fluid ounces while an American pint is just 16 fluid ounces. The standard American measuring cups sold here in the UK are one 4 ounce cup and smaller, Many American recipes use an 8 ounce (two cup) as a basis for measuring recipe ingredients. Bear in mind that the same cup measures differently for liquid and dry, depending on the weight of the ingredient, i.e. flour, breadcrumbs and oatmeal will be 4 oz, (110 g), but sugar, butter, dried fruit, chopped vegetables, syrup etc., will weigh differently. The listings below should enable recipes to be successfully made by American cooks. The only advice I would offer, having spent hours trawling websites and reading through books for factual information, hints and tips, is, to be consistent, never mix imperial, metric or cup measures in one recipe, If you use the same measuring system throughout, your dishes should work out correctly. If in doubt, weighing is still the most reliable and much preferred method to use, even by many American cooks. Purchasing a good set of balance scales with either metric or imperial weights, really will eliminate any guesswork and give good, consistent results every time.

Helpful measurement conversions.

Spoons
British = American
1 teaspoon = 1 teaspoon
1 tablespoon = 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons = 3 tablespoons
3.5 tablespoons = 4 tablespoons
4 tablespoons = 5 tablespoons

Solid measures
Using the one-cup standard measure as sold here in the UK (NB: Please remember to alter the amount for your own recipe):-

British = American
1lb (450g) butter or margarine = 2 cups (or four sticks).
1lb (450g) flour = 4 cups.
1lb 450 g, granulated or caster, (superfine), sugar = 2 cups.
1lb 450 g, icing sugar (confectioners' sugar) = 3 cups.
4 oz, 110 g, icing sugar, (confectioner's sugar), = half a cup plus a heaped tbsp.
8 oz, 225 g, flour = 2 cups.4 oz,
110 g, flour, = 1 cup.8 oz,
225 g, breadcrumbs = 2 cups.4 oz,
110 g, breadcrumbs. = 1 cup.8 oz,
225 g, oatmeal = 2 cups.
4 oz, 110 g, oatmeal = 1 cup.
8 oz, 225 g, grated cheese = 2 cups.
4 oz, 110 g, grated cheese = 1 cup.
8 oz, 225 g, butter, margarine, or shortening = one cup (or two sticks).
4 oz, 110 g, butter, margarine, or shortening = half a cup (or one stick).
2 oz, 50 g, butter, margarine or shortening = a quarter of a cup (or half a stick).
4 oz, 110 g, dried mixed fruit, (fruitcake mix) = 2-thirds of a cup.
2 oz, 50 g, dried mixed fruit, (fruit cake mix) = one-third of a cup.
8 oz, 225 g, brown sugar = 1 cup.
4 oz, 110 g, brown sugar = half a cup
3 oz, 75 g, plain, (semi-sweet) chocolate, broken into squares = 3-quarters of a cup.
4 oz, 110 g, whole hazelnuts = 1 cup.
2 oz, 50 g, flaked, (slivered) almonds = half a cup.
4 oz, 110 g, ground almonds = 1 cup.

Useful teaspoon measures.
1 oz, 25 g, is one heaped or heaping, tbsp of flour, oatmeal, cheese, breadcrumbs, or icing, confectioners grade, sugar.

1 oz, 25 g, is 1 rounded tbsp, of granulated or caster, superfine, sugar.

1 oz, 25 g, is 2 level tbsp of butter, margarine or shortening.


Liquid Measures

British = American
half a tsp, 2.5 ml. = half a tsp,
2.5 ml.1 tsp, 5 ml. = 1 tsp,
5 ml.1 average tbsp,
15 ml. = 1 average tbsp,
15 ml.A quarter of a pint,
150 ml. = Two thirds of a cup.
120 ml, 4 fl.oz, = half a cup.
Half a pint, 275 ml,
8 fl.oz, = A generous 1 cup.
Three-quarters of a pint, 425 ml. = Two cups
1 pint, 570 ml. = Two and a half cups.
One and a half pints, approx. 840 ml. = Three and three-quarter cups.
1 and 3-quarter pints, 1 litre, = 4 and a half cups.
2 pints = 5 cups.

Oh, what a blustery, cold and yucky day we are having here . . . it seems that Winter has returned with a vengeance . . . except that the snow isn't laying this time . . .

Instead it melts almost as soon as it touches the soggy, muddy ground . . .

It was so pretty earlier today . . .

We stood at the window and watched it fall like goosedown across the yard . . . the air filled with big soft fluffy flakes . . .



With all the snow and the cold, the birds have been extra hungry today . . . their bodies fluffed up to twice the size as they hop here and there around our feeding station. They enjoyed an extra treat of the rinds from our morning's breakfast bacon . . . the blackbirds greedily trying to snaffle it up before any other birds would have the chance . . .



Lunch was a delicious hot curried tomato soup, that you can see over on my Oak Cottage blog . . . it was warm and comforting and very, yummy, just perfect for a cold, wet day such as this . . .



To go with it???

Why a savoury cheese and herb quick bread that was so very easy to make, and oh-so-very delicious . . . served warm from the oven, and spread with lots of cold dairy butter . . .


The butter's golden softness soaking into the tender and herby crumb of the bread . . . all cheesy and scrumptious with a nice and crunchy crust. OH, it was so very good . . .

they were so very good . . . together . . .



Kinda makes you grateful for cold, snowy, yucky days . . .

almost.



*Herbed Cheese Bread*
Makes 1 (1 pound) loaf
Printable Recipe

Tasty quick bread, with a lovely herbed and cheesey flavour and rustic texture. Delicious on it's own served either warm or cold with butter. It's also a great bread to serve with hot soups and stews. Makes a great picnic treat as well with sliced meats and cheese.

4 ounces white self raising flour
4 ounces wholemeal self raising flour
1 tsp dry English mustard powder
2 TBS chopped fresh herbs (chives, thyme, basil, sage and parsley)
4 ounces mature Cheddar Cheese, grated
1 ounce butter
1 large egg, beaten
150ml of water

Pre-heat the oven to 190*C/375*F. Butter a 1 pound loaf tin. Set aside.

Mix together the flour, mustard, herbs and cheese. Melt the butter and then add to the flour mixture along with the egg and water. Mix to a soft, wet, cake-like dough. Turn into the prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes until well risen and golden brown. Remove from the oven to cool on a wire rack.