We had company on Saturday for supper and I wanted to make a special dessert. I also happened to have an abundance of blueberries as there had been a really good offer on at the grocery shop when I had gone there on Friday afternoon. 

 

Yayy!! It's the weekend!!  I love the weekend.  I know I don't work full time anymore and don't really have all that many pressing issues in my life during the week, except for whatever work I make for myself and my church duties, but I still like to pull out the stops a bit at the weekend, like anyone.



Of course Sunday is reserved for church, but on Saturday I like to do a few things that I normally wouldn't do the rest of the week . . . like visit stately country homes (weather permitting) or go for country walks, the seaside, etc.  That kind of thing.



It's also the day I like to have a bit of an extra treat for breakfast.  Something special you know . . . it's no fun watching the calories all week, if you don't have something special to look forward to at the weekend is it?  All work and no play and all that stuff!

 

I like to bake something special at the weekend, like these delicious Blueberry and Almond Muffins!   (And you know how very much I love, LOVE blueberries!)



There was a special on blueberries at the grocery store when I went there yesterday, a HUGE punnet of them for only £2.  What can I say . . . I loaded up on them!  My freezer is stogged full as we speak, and I am drooling over the future cakes and goodies I am going to be baking with them!



But . . . I digress  . . . Blueberry and Almond Muffins.  Moist with buttermilk deliciousness, and lightly spiced with mixed spice . . . that lovely combination of warm baking spices that makes all those baked goodies taste that little bit scrummier . . .

 

Stogged to the hilt full of lovely blueberries . . . they get almost jammy and even sweeter when they are baked.

 

Lovely almond flavour . . . both through the use of ground almonds in the batter and through that crunch sprinkle of almonds that you sprinkle over top before baking . . .

 

I was almost tempted to drizzle a lemon glaze over top . . . but then I thought . . . why mess with perfection.

 

These babies . . . well . . . they are perfect just as they are.



*Warm Blueberry and Almond Muffins*
Makes 12 medium muffins
Printable Recipe

Quick and easy to prepare for a weekend breakfast or brunch.  Especially lovely served warm with a hot drink, or cold orange juice.

200g of plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground mixed spice (see recipe to make your own
in my right hand side bar)
50g ground almonds (generous 1/2 cup)
175g of sugar (1 scant cup)
1 medium free range eggs
300ml of buttermilk (1 1/3 cup)
50g of butter, melted (3 1/2 TBS)
250g of fresh blueberries (about 2 cups)
15g of chopped almonds to top (2 TBS)

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Line a 12 cup medium muffin pan with paper liners.  Set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder and mixed spice into a large bowl.  Whisk in the ground almonds and sugar.  Beat together the egg, buttermilk and melted butter in another bowl.  Stir this into the dry ingredients, mixing only to combine.  Fold in the blueberries.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, dividing it evenly amongst them.  They should be roughly 2/3 full.  Sprinkle some of the chopped almonds on top of each.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until well risen and golden brown.  Remove from the oven and turn out onto a wire rack to cook for several minutes before serving.  Serve warm.

 

It's one of my favourite flavour seasons of the year now . . . Aspagarus season! The shops are slowly beginning to stock fresh British Asparagus, which I believe is the most delicious tasting asparagus in the world!!

 

Of course there is asparagus readily available all year round . . . but it more often than not comes from Peru.  Nothing against Peru . . . but . . . do you really want to eat asparagus that's been grown half a world away, sprayed with something to keep lasting longer . . . and pasted onto our grocery shop shelves some what . . . multiple days or even weeks later???

 

I think NOT!  Yuck!!  I turn my nose up at that tasteless foreign stuff all year round . . . I'm waiting for Spring  when our English Asparagus comes into season, I'm ready to line up and partake as often as I can.  It is a short season and I want to indulge myself as much as I can during those few weeks in May and June when it's available!

 

I love it steamed, until it's crispy tender and still nicely green . . . dipped into melted lemon butter, or hollandaise sauce . . . it's also a real treat used as soldiers instead of toast with your soft boiled eggs.  It makes beautiful pasta dishes, even more gorgeously delicious . . . goes wonderfully with chicken . . .



It's absolutely  breathtakingly delish in  salads . . . or wrapped in pancetta and grilled.  It makes fabulously tasty spring tarts and is wonderful with poached or scrambled eggs.  In fact it's just wonderful when paired with eggs, full stop!



But how I really love it . . . is when it's roasted in a hot oven.  I simply toss with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and then spread it out onto a baking sheet.  I roast it for 8 to 10 minutes in a hot oven.  As soon as it comes out of  the oven I spritz it with some white balsamic vinegar and sprinkle it with a few shavings of Parmesan cheese.  Oh, my . . . but it is some good done that way.

 

Today I've simply steamed it and then layered it in a delicious open faced sandwich for two.  Layered on a crisp ciabatta roll, which has been spread with some pesto mayonnaise, along with some ham, sliced tomatoes and lotsa cheese, this went down a real treat.

 

I just love knife and fork sandwiches don't you???

 

 *Open Faced Asparagus Melts*
Makes 2
Printable Recipe

A delicious open faced grilled sandwich, filled with the lovely flavours of delicious fresh Spring asparagus!

16 good sized spears of fresh asparagus
3 TBS fat free mayonnaise
1 TBS ready made Green Pesto
1 ciabatta roll, cut in half, with the top half trimmed
so that it will lie flat
2 slices of baked ham
4 thick slices of ripe tomato
2 TBS of grated low fat mozarella cheese
2 TBSl of grated emmenthaler cheese
2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Trim the asparagus.  Snap off any woody ends and trim off the little pointy bits along the stem.  (These can be bitter.) Wash well.  Steam, covered for 2 minutes, until crispy tender.

Preheat the grill.  (Broiler)

Combine the mayonnaise and pesto in a small bowl.  Spread 2 TBS of the mixture onto each ciabatta half.  Place onto a baking sheet.  Pop under the grill for a vew minutes until the pesto mayo is bubbling.  Remove from the oven and then layer each slice with one piece of  ham and half of the asparagus.  Place two slices of tomato on top of each.  Sprinkle each with 1 TBS of each of the cheeses and season with a grating of black pepper.

Grill for a few minutes longer, until the cheese is melted and just turning golden brown.

 

I'll let you in on another really tasty, simple way to prepare it.  Wash and dry your asparagus really well.  Trim off the woody ends and those bitter little points.  Roll it in low fat mayonnaise to coat . . . and then roll it in grated Parmesan Cheese.  Place on a buttered sheet of parchment paper you've placed on a baking tray and roast it at a hot temperature (200*C/400*F/ gas 6) for about 8 to 10 minutes (depending on the thickness of the spears) until the cheese is melted, the spears are tender and the whole thing is scrummy, Scrummy, SCRUMMY!

 

I just adore gnocchi. Those lovely little italian dumplings are just so scrummy and quite versatile.

 

You don't need to reserve them for only supper time . . . served with sauce or whatever.  They do make a lovely supper dish with a creamy gorgonzola sauce and some rocket stirred in . . .  but that's not all they are good for, no, no . . . no.

 

They make a fabulous addition to breakfast!  If you have never eaten gnocchi sauteed in butter until they are golden brown . . . you have not lived!

 

I've served them before along with fried eggs and sage . . . oh so scrummy.   I've also used them to make a delicious macaroni and cheese type of dish with purple sprouting broccoli.  Also very tasty!

 

Today I cooked the Toddster a delicious breakfast of scrambled egg and gnocchi.  Oh my . . . I had a taste and it was delicious!!

 

The gnocchi all golden brown and buttery . . . the eggs softly scrambled, along with some bacon . . . crisp and salty, chopped chives . . . it went down a real treat!

 

Todd just loved this.  I think any man would.  Next time I make it I may add a few chopped tomatoes or peppers.  Not only would they add a bit more colour, but I think they'd be delicious in this as well.

 

I do hope you'll give this a try and if you do, let me know how you liked it!



 *Gnocchi Breakfast Scramble*
Serves 4-6
Printable Recipe

Weekend breakfast fare.  Differently delicious!

1 pound of potato gnocchi (fresh or frozen)
4 slices of streaky bacon
3 TBS of butter
 10 large free range eggs
fine seasalt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 TBS water
3 TBS snipped fresh chives
freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano to taste

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil.  While you are waiting for the water to boil, fry the bacon until crisp in a large skillet.  Remove to paper kitchen towelling to drain.  Reserve the drippings in the pan.  Add 1 TBS of the butter and stir to melt.  Keep warm.

Add the potato gnocchi to the boiling water and cook according to package directions.  As the gnocchi float to the top, scoop them out with a slotted spoon, allowing any water to drain off.  Drop them into the pan with the butter.  Once all of the gnocchi are in the pan, turn up the heat and cook, stirring and flipping until they are golden brown.  Scoop them out onto some kitchen toweling and keep warm. 

Wipe out the skillet.  Beat the eggs together with some water, salt and black pepper.  Heat the remaining butter in the cleaned skillet until it begins to foam.  Pour in the eggs.  Start to scramble them, turning them over with a wooden spoon.  While the eggs are still soft, add the bacon bits and chives.  Before the eggs are completely done, fold in the golden hot gnocchi.  Do not overcook the eggs.  They should be soft and fluffy.  Stir and adjust seasoning as required.  Spoon out onto a heated platter, sprinkle with some grated Parmigiano and serve immediately.

 

We had the missionaries over for supper again tonight.  I do so love to have them over.  There's nothing I like better than cooking for and fussing for big strapping lads!  I feed them pretty regularly, at least once a month in any case!  (That's all we are allowed to do.)  I do so like to spoil them just a tiny bit.



I like to cook them a little bit of something which reminds them of home, and so tonight I did them a big macaroni and cheese,  (which I topped with some sliced tomatoes and crisp strips of bacon), those sausage patties that I did the other day (they were soooo good, I just had to make them again!), a variety of vegetables, and some nice rolls.  I also served a cranberry chutney that I like to make.  It all went down a real treat.  Seconds all around!

 

I wanted to make them a special pudding though . . . or, rather I wanted to make the Toddster a special pudding . . . you all know how much he likes pasta of any shape or form . . . and I wanted to make up for the mac and cheese!

 

Enter Steamed Cherry Bakewell Pudding, served up with a custard sauce.  A dessert right after Todd's old school, school dinner, stodgy heart!!

 

Picture this . . . a lovely moist and buttery steamed pudding . . . filled with the lovely flavour of almonds . . . coming from both the ground almonds and the almond essence used in making the batter . . .

 

Topped with some lovely sweet/tart morello cherry preserves . . . sitting there all scrummily on top of the pudding . . .  and then gilded with an unctuously delicious custard sauce.

 

Dare I say it?  TO DIE FOR!

 

Yep, the mac & cheese was forgiven in a single bite.  RESULT!





*Steamed Cherry Bakewell Pudding*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A delicious steamed pudding stogged full of scrummy almond flavour and slathered with morello cherry preserves.  Served with a custard sauce, this is old school, stodge, deliciousness!

For the pudding:
110g of butter, softened (1/2 cup)
110g of soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup packed)
2 medium free range eggs, beaten
a few drops of almond essence
75g of self raising flour, sifted (2/3 cup)
75g of ground almonds (14 TBS)
2 TBS semi skimmed milk
3 heaped TBS of morello cherry preserves (jam)

For the Sauce:
150ml (5 fluid ounces) of milk
250ml of heavy/double cream (8.5 fluid ounces)
50g of caster sugar (1/4 cup fine sugar)
6 large free range egg yolks
1 vanilla pod, split and seeds removed

To make the pudding.  Butter a 1 1/2 pint pudding basin.  Set aside.  Take a large piece of greaseproof paper or foil, make a pleat in the centre and then spray it lightly with nonstick cooking spray, or spray oil.

Cream together the softened vutter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, a bit at a time, until well incorporated.  Stir in the almond essence and then fold in the flour and the almonds.  Stir in the milk to give a dropping consistency. 

Spoon the jam into the bottom of the buttered basin.  Pour the batter over top.  Cover the pudding basin with  the prepared paper or foil and secure in place with some string or a rubber band.  Place into the top of a steamer or large saucepan which is half filled with boiling water.  Cover and steam the pudding for 1 1/2 hours, checking periodically to make sure that  your pot of water does not go dry, and topping up as necessary.

About 20 to 25 minutes before the pudding has finished cooking make the sauce.  Place the milk, cream and one tsp of the sugar into a heavy bottomed saucepan.  Bring to a gentle simmer and then turn the heat down to the lowest setting.  Place the sugar and egg yolks into a bowl and whisk together with a hand whisk until creamy. light and pale in colour.    Continue to whisk and slowly pour the warm cream mixture  into it at a slow drizzle.  Strain the mixture through a fine sieve back into the saucepan.  Add the vanilla pod and the seeds.  Cook, whisking constantly, over low heat until the mixture thickens somewhat.  Don't be tempted to rush this process, or you will end up with scrambled eggs.  The mixture should coat the back of a metal spoon when it is done.  Pass through a fine sieve again and keep warm until needed.

Many thanks to those of you who purchased my little cookbooklet, "A Very Royal Teaparty."  I've gotten some really good feedback from you  on it and it really made my day today!  I do so love it when people appreciate and like what I've done!   (If you haven't seen it, you can take a gander up in the top of the right hand column of this page.)  Thank you all so very much!  You're a peach, as they'd say down in South!