I ended up with a few bananas today that needed using up pronto, and as I am a person who doesn't like to waste anything I decided to make some muffins with them. That way we could keep some for ourselves and I could take a few over to our elderly friend Doreen . . .



These aren't just any banana muffin though. These are Banana and Sticky Date Muffins! Scrummo!!



Yep, delicious banana muffins stogged full of lovely sticky dates . . . that get all scrummy and sticky toffee like . . .



Buttery and wonderfully moist from the banana, and topped with a bit of crunch from a tasty brown sugar drizzle.



You could add chopped toasted walnuts or pecans if you wanted to, which would be a lovely addition and give some meaty crunch to go along with all the sticky datedness!



These went down a real treat with a hot cuppa about 11 am. Oh, I do so love the tradition of Elevensies, don't YOU?



* Banana and Sticky Date Muffins*
Makes 12 large muffins
Printable Recipe

Moist and sticky delicious, crammed full of dates and topped with a brown sugar glaze! What's not to like!

200g of plain flour (1 1/2 cups) sifted
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
172g of butter, softened (3/4 cup)
132g of soft light brown sugar (2/3 cup packed)
2 large free range eggs
3 really ripe bananas, peeled and mashed well
1 tsp rum extract
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
75g chopped dates (1/2 cup)

For the glaze:
100g soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup packed)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBS hot water

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line a large sized muffin tins with paper liners, or butter well and dust with flour. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour and baking powder. Place the butter and brown sugar into a bowl. Cream together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the flour mixture. Stir the run and vanilla into the bananas and stir this into the batter, until well incorporated. Stir in the dates. Drop by heaped spoonfuls into the lined muffin cups filling each about 2/3 full.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until risen, lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the centre of one comes out clean!

Stir together the brown sugar, vanilla and hot water until smooth. Drizzle over top of the warm muffins, allowing it to soak in. Serve muffins warm or at room temperature. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

We had some people over for dinner tonight, and I cooked a pretty nice meal I guess. Nothing too out of the ordinary. We had grilled chicken breasts that I had marinated all day in a Ranch type of marinade. Then I had made a hot German Potato Salad, and cooked some green beans, which we had with the grilled chicken along with a tossed salad and some crusty rolls.



The piece de resistance though was this fabulous cake. One of the guests said it was the best dessert he had ever eaten . . . and well, not to brag or anything . . . it is pretty good, if I don't say so myself.



A moist and tender cake, which is stogged full of lovely warm spices and chunks of apple . . .
Baked in a pie dish so that it is shaped like an apple pie. Oh , it smells like heaven when it is baking . . . all comforting and spicy and scrummy.



But that's not all . . . no . . . that's not all . . .



While it is baking you make this totally scrumdiddlyumptious brown sugar rum sauce to spoon over top of baked cake. You can serve it warm, or at room temperature. It's decadently delicious either way.



OF course a dollop of whipped cream, is it's crowning glory.



Go ahead . . . dig in. You won't be sorry. It may not look like much, but this is one case where looks are quite, quite deceiving. This is a true winner.



*Apple Pie Cake with a Brown Sugar and Rum Sauce*
Serves 6 to 8
Printable Recipe

It's a cake, shaped like a pie and stogged full of apples and spice, with a delicious brown sugar and rum flavoured sauce to spoon over top. Yummy!

2 ounces butter softened (1/4 cup)
190g of caster sugar (1 cup)
1 large free range egg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
150g of plain flour, sifted (1 cup)
2 TBS hot water
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large granny smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped (about 3 cups)

For the Sauce:
100g of soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup firmly packed)
85g of caster sugar (1/2 cup)
5 TBS butter, softened
125ml of heavy cream (1/2 cup)
1 tsp rum flavouring (You can use 1 TBS of real rum if you wish)

Whipped Cream to serve

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter and flour a 9 inch pie dish very well. Set aside.

Cream the butter until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the caster sugar and the egg. Combine the flour, salt, cinnamon and grated nutmeg. Stir into the creamed mixture, along with the water and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Stir in the chopped apple. Spoon the batter into the prepared pie dish. Smooth the top over and then bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

For the sauce, combine the sugars, cream and butter in a small saucepan. Heat and stir over medium low heat until the butter is melted. Bring to the boil and allow to boil for one minute only. Remove from the heat, stir in the rum flavouring. Serve warm or at room temperature with the cake.

Cut the cake into wedges to serve. Top each wedge with some sauce and a dollop of whipped cream.

 

Since my kitchen is still not quite in working order, I thought it would be fun today to talk about some of the more traditional Savoury Dishes that I have cooked here in The English Kitchen. In some cases I have taken the traditional and added a slight twist, which I love to do. The essence remains the same and all are quite delicious, if I don't say so myself!



Toad in the Hole

This is my meat and potatoes loving husband's favourite meal, and who wouldn't like it. With it's delicious Yorkshire Batter Pudding Base and Thick English Bangers, it is a family pleaser all round. Especially when served up with mash and lots of onion gravy!




Lancashire Hot Pot. Lancashire hotpot is a culinary dish consisting essentially of meat, onion and potatoes left to bake in the oven all day in a heavy pot and on a low heat. Originating in the days of heavy industrialisation in Lancashire in the north west of England, it requires a minimum of effort to prepare.



Beer Battered Fish and Chips Moist and flakey fish encased in a traditional crisp beer batter, fried until golden brown. Oh so delicious, especially when served up with fat chips and mushy peas, or minted peas if you have no mushy peas to hand! (I love it both ways!)



Perfect Egg and Chips A perfectly fried egg, served with crisp chips and slices of buttered bread in the traditional way. All the better to make a hot chip buttie with! (Yes that's hot chips wrapped up in a buttered slice of white bread. The butter melts and the whole thing is just fabulously tasty.) Simple and filling and oh so wonderfully comforting.



Welsh Cheese Pudding A bread and butter pudding of sorts filled with lovely leeks, welsh cheese, eggs and milk. A simple and comfortingly filling dish.



Bangers and Mash
and not just any Bangers and Mash, but Sticky Bangers with a Chive and Buttermilk Mash! Scrummo!!



Spam Fritters, surprisingly tasty! Don 't knock them or turn your nose up til you try them. They are oddly addictive!


Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder. Oh, this is a gorgeous Sunday Lunch Treat! With lovely crisp roast potatoes, and vegetables, lotsa gravy. Oh yum...



The Great Cornish Pasty. A beautiful thing, filled with steak, potatoes, onions and swede. Oh, and that pastry. So delectable!



Posh Beans on Toast. Dressed up tinned beans served on cheese and onion toasties.



Lamb Stew with Feather Dumplings. So called feather dumpling because they are made with potato and light as a feather!



Cauliflower and Cheese. The ultimate in comfort and tradition, and not boring in the least.



Cottage Pie with Potato Cobbles. Oh so delicious with the surprise of a sliced potato and cheese topping over a rich beef, vegetable and gravy base.



Macaroni Shepherds Pie. A delicious Shepherds Pie with a twise . . . delicious lamb filling, topped with a scrummy Macaroni and Cheese topping!



Baked Corned Beef Hash. The traditional with a little twist, baked and topped with cheese. Delicious!



Beef Stew with Herbed Dumplings. We are great stew lovers in this house, and dumplings make a fabulous dish every fabulous-er! (yes, I know, not a real word.)



Perfect Roast Chicken. Deliciously flavoured with carrot, leek, onion and butter. Moistly delectable.



A Mild Lamb Curry. Creamy and mild, with tender chunks of lamb in a well flavoured curry sauce. In short, delicious.



Chicken and Mushroom Casserole with Crusty Dumplings. Tender bites of chicken, with savoury mushrooms in a rich sauce, topped with crusty dumplings. Need I say more???

Of course there are many, many more traditional recipes on my site, but I've made myself rather hungry now. I think I'll have to go and make myself some bread and marmite and dream about a day in the not too soon future when my kitchen is again workable. Buttered Bread and Marmite . . . another tasty tradition, which you either loathe or love, or both.



Don't lose faith in me, there will be some new scrumminess soon, I promise!!

Tis no laughing matter and we are not amused . . . but . . . still no cooking going on here, and apparently there won't be for a couple of more days. We have been advised not to return anything to the kitchen for a few days so that the tiles have time to settle and so . . . I am sharing an old recipe with you here today. I hope you don't mind. Tis a delicious reminder of something which we love so very much, and that I don't make near often enough. It's very easy and simple, and quite, quite delicious. Hence the name . . . Lemon Delicious.



I always have a bowl of lemons sitting on the counter. They look so pretty there and they smell delicious. They also come in very handy . . . for cakes and bakes . . . hot drinks . . . savoury dishes . . . cold drinks . . .



You never know when you are going to need a squeeze of lemon juice,
or a bit of lemon zest . . .
They're just very, very handy to have around. If I could I would have my own lemon tree . . . it must be nice to just walk out the door and pick a few lemons when you need them.



Lemon-juice prevents or restrains influenza, malaria and cold. Squeezing lemons is good therapy . . . you know. They're also fabulous source of vitamin C, helpful when you have the dreaded lurgy, and to top it all off . . . they're tasty too!!

Can you believe that the Toddster is not overly fond of lemon anything? I know . . . there's something wrong with his head . . . oh well . . . that just means more for me. I won't be complaining about that!




*Lemon Delicious*
Serves 4 to 6 (depending on how greedy you are!)
Printable Recipe

Picture a deliciously light, baked lemon batter, with a tingly lemon curd at the bottom. Now smother it with pouring cream, or a dollop of creme fraiche . . .

70g unsalted butter, room temperature(1/3 cup)
185g caster sugar (15 1/2 TBS or a scant cup)
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
3 large free range eggs, separated
4 TBS self raising flour
6 fluid ounces milk
4 TBS fresh lemon juice
icing sugar to dust
thick pouring cream, to serve (or creme fraiche)



Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Lightly butter a 5 cup ovenproof ceramic dish. Set aside.

Using an electric whisk, beat the butter with the sugar and grated lemon zest together until light and creamy. Gradually beat in the egg yolks, beating well after each addition. Fold in the flour and the milk, alternately to make a smooth but runny batter. Stir in the lemon juice.

Clean your beaters really well and then beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. With a large metal spoon, fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites, being careful not to overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Place in a large roasting tin. Pour enough hot water into the tin to come one third of the way up the sides of the baking dish. Bake in the heated oven for 55 minutes, or until the top of the pudding is golden, risen and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Dust the top with icing sugar and serve spooned out into bowls with lashings of pouring cream or dollops of creme fraiche.

Enjoy!