We spent most of today faffing about with our computers.    The one which was plugged directly into the router was working fine, but none of the wireless ones were working.   The router just wasn't directing a signal to them.  We tried everything to get them working, but in the end the Toddster ended up having to go out and buy a new router.

 

Because we use the laptop in the craft room and our ipads for study, etc.  it was really important we get online with them.   Modern technology . . . it can be very frustrating at times, but then again, whatever would we do without it?  Well, you wouldn't be here reading this for one thing!  And what a shame that would be, because I really love it when you visit!  Its one of the highlights of my days!



You're probably thinking so what's the point of this whole story??   Well . . . I had big plans to bake something really tasty for you today . . . but it just didn't get done with all of the faffing about!   Instead I am sharing with you one of our favourite desserts.  "House" baked apples.

 

Simple and quick to throw together and oh so very delicious to eat . . . with all of the comforts of a crumble minus all of the work of having to rub a topping together, and in truth, you don't really miss it.   You get succulent  baked sliced of apple, all  sweet and buttery and nicely spiced . . . mixed with the moreish crunch of toasted flaked almonds . . . not to mention the additional textures and flavours of sweet sultana raisins and coconut!



The smell when it's baking is almost more than you can bear . . . it smells so wonderfully homey and comforting . . . It's a good thing it cooks rather quickly!   You can have this on the table in less than half an hour and I can assure you all will be smacking their lips in anticipation!   We like to call them "House" baked apples . . . coz that's just the way we do them in this house!  Enjoy!!



*House Baked Apples*
Serves  4
Printable Recipe

This is how we like them in our house.  Simple and delicious!

4 large red eating apples
a large handful of flaked almonds
4 TBS sugar
3 TBS dessicated coconut
1 handful of sultana raisins
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp of ground cardamom
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
4 TBS butter, plus more to butter the tin
vanilla bean ice cream to serve

 

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.   Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking pan well.  Set aside.

Peel the apples, core and cut each into about 8 wedges.  Scatter them into the tin.  Sprinkle with the sultanas, almonds and coconut. Stir together the sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg.   Sprinkle this evenly over top of the apples.  Dot with the butter.

Bake for 25 minutes, until the apples are beginning to soften and turn golden brown.  Serve warm, spooned into bowls and topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream

I don't think I have ever made any secret of my love for Blueberries.   I often pick up a punnet or two or three when they are on special at the shops.  I just bang them into the freezer and I'm good to go anytime I need them.   They freeze really well.

 

Of course we grow our own now.  We have four bushes in our garden.  They are the high bush ones.   I got enough off them last year to make a pie and freeze some, and am hopeful that this year I will get even more.  Last year was the first year we had any blueberry bushes, so we were quite impressed at the amount we got just in the first year!

 

I was reading this week that wild blueberries actually are native to here, Ireland and Northern Europe.  I was surprised actually as I had no idea that they existed here at all in the wild state.   They call them Bilberries though . . . and they are probably not quite as profuse as they are in Eastern Canada and USA.

 

I do remember a woman from church telling me that they pick them very near to where they live in Moulde (Wales) but I thought at the time she was probably mistaking them for some other berry . . . now I know she was probably right and I am going to ask her again where she picks them.   You just can't beat a wild blueberry for exceptional flavour!

 

You can't actually "farm" wild blueberries in the natural sense of the word. Growing very close to the ground they have a will of their own and they decide where they are going to grow or not grow.  They spread by underground rhizomes, which despite man trying . . . just will not thrive if manually transplanted to new areas.   That is the nature of "wild" things . . . it has ever been so.

 

We here at home, never tire of eating them.  They're healthy, low in fat and high in vitamins and anti-oxidants . . . one of the naturally occurring super-foods, and I try to get as many of them into our diet as possible.  I do think their low fat qualities are somewhat undermined by the things I managed to stog them into . . .



But, I'm afraid I just can't help myself . . . one has to scratch the itch that one has to scratch and when it comes to blueberries . . . that means pies, cakes, pancakes, muffins and gorgeous teatime treats such as these delicious Blueberry and Pecan Bars.   I think you'll agree with me that these are absolutely wonderful indeed!   A most scrumdiddlyumptious way to get in one of your five a day . . . sugar, fat and other no-no's aside.



*Blueberry Pecan Bars*
Makes one 8 inch square pan
Printable Recipe

Deliciously simple and a real favourite around here with the shortbread biscuit base and that fabulous topping!

for the base:
100g plain flour (1 cup)
115g of unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
3 TBS sifted icing sugar

for the topping@
100g blueberries (1 cup)
2 large free range eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon extract
190g of granulated sugar (1 cup)
25g of plain flour (1/4 cup)
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
40g shredded coconut (1/2 cup)
90g of chopped toasted pecan nuts ( 3/4 cup)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Line an 8 inch square pan with baking paper, leaving an overhang for lifting out.  Butter the paper.

Place the flour and icing sugar in a bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture is  like fine breadcrumbs and beginning to stick together.  Press this into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Bake for 25 minutes.

At the end of that time, remove from the oven and sprinkle the blueberries over top to cover.  Combine the eggs, sugar,extracts, flour, salt, baking powder and coconut until well blended.  Pour this mixture over top of the blueberries.  Scatter the pecan nuts over top.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and set.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes before lifting out carefully and allowing to cool completely.  If desired dust with icing sugar to serve.   Cut into squares to serve.

I have to admit, I'm a confirmed chocoholic.   If they gave away membership cards for this I'd be the proud owner of one.  Chocolate.  I just can't get enough of it . . . but not just any chocolate.   I like FINE chocolate.   Yes, I am a chocolate snob . . . and I have my favourites.   Lindt happens to be one of them.  (Great fan of the Dark Chocolate with Chili bars!)

In any case when I was asked to test their new  Heavenly Hazelnut Egg, I jumped at the chance.  They did NOT have to ask me twice.   It arrived yesterday . . . scrummo!

From their page:

Heavenly smooth milk chocolate rolled in roasted Piedmont hazelnuts then generously coated with a final chocolate layer to create our thickest, most decadent Easter Egg yet.  A modern day masterpiece created with love by the Lindt Master Chocolatier.

But, did it live up to their promises?   Let's see . . .



Attractive packaging first off . . . a very nice box . . .



Well wrapped with a very nice plastic stand which helps to protect the intregity of the egg and prevent it from breaking.   Love, LOVED the yellow ribbon!   I love ribbons almost as much as I love chocolate!   (almost!)



I have to say upfront that I have never had a British Easter Egg . . . we don't normally do them in this house and to be honest I think they are terribly overpriced for what you get.  It is not unusual to  pay 5 or 6 pounds for a hollow milk chocolate egg, which is paper thin and stuffed with a ditsy packet of chocolate buttons or some other brand name chocolate treat, which you could normally buy for far less than a pound.

So I can't really compare apples with oranges here, but I do have to say that this luxury egg is composed of an inner layer of lovely milk chocolate and then double dipped into more chocolate, crushed hazelnuts, and yet more chocolate, which makes for a very nice product.   When you combine that with the delicious quality if Lindt chocolate you have a winner.  It is rather pricy at £19.99 but when it comes to chocolate you do get what you pay for, and this was very, VERY nice.



Did it live up to the hype??   In short . . . YES, a thousand times yes.   The Toddster and I have all but obliterated it now.  (Have I mentioned he loves chocolate candy??? grrrrr . . . I wish he didn't then there would be more for greedy guts moi!)

In any case, this chocolate egg is a fine quality egg and I give it a resounding ten out of ten!

Lindt Heavenly Hazelnut Milk Chocolate Egg   350g £19.99

Smooth, rich and lovely.  Many thanks to Lindt Luxury Easter Eggs and Kia for sending it to me to try out!

 

As you know from time to time I am sent cookbooks to trial.  I love that part of my job . . . you can never have too many cookbooks.  Todd would beg to differ, but I have noticed he never complains at being able to test the fruits of my labours.

The latest book I was sent was  for the Grilled Cheese Lover in each of us!   "Melt," by Shane (Sanford) Kearns, creator, GrilledShane.com.   Over 100 recipes, each one accompanied with a beautiful colour photograph.   I just love cookbooks which have lots of photos.   It's nice to be able to see what you're cooking is supposed to look like.



The book is basically divided into two parts.  Part 1 is "Seriously Savory Sandwiches."  It compromises of  chapters ( Gastronomically and Living on the Edge.)  Here is just about any savory combination the brain can think of . . . and then some . . .  like:



Basil Peppercorn - Caramelized Vidalia onions, Chaumes and Havarti Cheeses, and with hints of basil and pepper corn, grilled between two slices of Italian bread.   What's not to like?

And that's just one of the taste tempters on offer.   There are other delicious delights such as Sweet and Spicy Popcorn, Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Cheddar (how is that for inventiveness!), the Sunflower Gouda Griller, . . . and even the simple . . . such as The Fried Egg, but even that has an inventive twist to it.

Part Two is entitled Surprisingly Sweet Stacks, again comprised of two chapters . . . Epicurean Adventures and Experimental Territory.



Anyone up for "The Cinnamon Roll?"  A rich mix of refrigerator cinnamon rolls and Philadelphia Milk chocolate Cheese Spread and caramelized pecans . . .



The Candy Cane . . . Refrigerator Biscuits layerd with crushed peppermint candies/candy canes/ ricotta cheese and crushed gingersnaps.   Now, that is called pushing the envelope I think!  It does look incredibly tasty though . . .

and that is just the tip of the iceberg!

 

Scattered throughout are "Tips from the Stovetop." Handy little tips and bits of advice to help you make the most of your "Grilled Sandwich" experience.

I chose two recipes to test out . . . first up was the Baked Pretzel Beans.  We really like baked beans in this house and we love beans on toast.



It looked and sounded very appealing to say the least . . .

I adapted it very easily to what I had in the house to use and this is how mine turned out.  Looks delicious eh?   It was!   A new favourite twist on beans on toast.  I had to switch a few things around as we don't have the ingredients were not readily available over here, but it worked out fine.



*Pretzel Baked Beans*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe

A rather upscale Beans on Toast!

1 cup Vegetarian baked beans
(I used one tin of Heinz baked beans)
2 TBS Barbecue sauce
(I used Jack Daniels)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 TBS soft light brown sugar
1/8 cup mushrooms, chopped
(I left these out as I did not have any)
1/8 cup onions, chopped (about 2 TBS)
pinch dried dill tops
2 round pretzel rolls, scooped (see tips)
(I used two round Bavarian rye rolls as I didn't have pretzel rolls)
1/2 cup Jarlsberg cheese
(I used strong cheddar, about 2 TBS)



Combing the beans, barbeque sauce, garlic powder, brown sugar, mushrooms, onions, and dried dill in a saucepan.   Simmer on medium high heat for 5 to 8 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180&C/350*F/ gas mark 5.  Place the scooped rolls on a baking tray.   Fill them with the bean mixture.  Top with the cheese.   Bake for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted.   Serve hot with a spoon.

Tips:  A pretzel roll is exactly that, a roll made out of soft pretzel dough.  Scooping a pretzel roll is different from scooping a normal roll.  You want to keep the flaps intact whilst removing the bread inside.  I cut a cross into the top and then used a fork to  scrape and pull out the insides.  It worked really well.

 

The next recipe I tried was an upscale version of what we call a "Chip Butty" over here in the UK.  Our version is not elaborate . . . simply fried chips (french fries) salted and vinegar-ed with malt vinegar and slapped between two buttered sliced of cheap white bread.   This is delicious folks.  Simply delicious.  There's many a kid in this country that was brought up on chip butties!

Shane's version is really upscale though . . . no salt and vinegar here, just a nice mix of spices, crisp potatoes laid out onto a ciabatta roll, slathered with cheese and onion and grilled.  What's not to like about this??

I cheated a bit and used the low fat Skin on Baked Oven Chips, chunky cut and that worked fine.  It was not as tasty probably as the fried version . . . but with all that cheese on top, who cared?   Certainly not me!  It really soothed this carb lover's heart!   I love, LOVED it!

 

 *Ultimate Cheesy Fries*
Serves 1
Printable Recipe

Half a ciabatta roll topped with fries and cheese.   Don't knock it until you try it!

1/2 a large (12 inch) ciabatta, approximately 4
inches in length
(I used half of a small cheese ciabatta roll)
2 Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced like thick cut French Fries
(I used  a handful of skin on, low fat thick cut oven chips)
1/4 tsp dried dill, divided
1/4 tsp paprika
sea salt to taste
1 TBS vegetable oil, for frying
(I didn't need this as I didn't fry my chips, only baked them)
2/3 cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese
(I used cheddar)
1 TBS red onion, diced
(I used spring onions)
ketchup for side



Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 5.   Slice the bread horizontally.  Save top for another use.

In a mixing bowl, combine the sliced potatoes, 1/8 tsp dried dill, 1/8 tsp of paprika and sea salt to taste.  Toss until the fries are covered.  (I did this to my oven chips before I put them in the oven on a tray and baked them.)

Cook the seasoned fries in 1 TBS oil on medium heat, continually tossing/stirring.  As fries cook, add the remainder of the dried dill, paprika and sea salt to taste.  Cook until they begin to crisp and brown.

Place the cooked fries on top of the ciabatta, followed by the cheese and red onion.  Place on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes, to melt the cheese.   Serve warm with a side of ketchup if desired.

All in all the recipes are quite taste tempting and easy to execute from what I can see.  The only hardship might be the lack of American Ingredients here in the UK, but that is hot a hurdle which you couldn't cope with.   I think any inventive cook could cross that hurdle quite easily and may-hap even come up with something tastier than the original.

 

If you're a fan of the Grilled Cheese (or Cheese Toastie as it is known over here in the UK) you will love this book.   I think it's a real winner.   I can't wait to try out the Chocolate Brownie Indulgence and the Candied Baconator . . . I just have to lose about ten pounds first!



Published by Aadamsmedia.   You can get a copy here in the UK via Amazon for £13 and a bit of change, a 15% saving off the cover price.

Many thanks to FWmedia International and Aadamsmedia for sending me this review copy.

I give it two thumbs up,  a high five and a ten out of ten!  

When I worked at the Manor, I often made delicious chocolate fondant cakes for dinner parties, luncheons and such.  You know the kind I mean . . . rich chocolate cakes, each one a single serving that gushed out a warm chocolate filling when you broke them open.  It was a really easy dessert to make because I could make up the chocolate batter ahead of time and it would keep in the refrigerator for 4 or 5 days, ready to just scoop out and bake as I wanted . . . it also froze really well.

Not everyone likes chocolate though . . . hard to believe I know . . .



The Toddster hates chocolate puddings . . . he hates chocolate desserts of any kind.  But then if you have been coming here for a while, you know that already.  He only likes chocolate candy and hot chocolate . . . not cakes, cookies or pies . . . or . . . puddings.

 

I know . . . poor me.   Well . . . I guess you could look at that in one of two ways . . . either I never cook chocolate puddings . . . and do without . . . or I do cook them and they're all for me.  I don't see either alternative as being a winning situation.



I got this pudding recipe on a tear out card in one of my cooking mags, a few months back and thought it would be perfect for a Valentines Day pud.   It's not chocolate and it only makes two servings . . . win/win . . . AND it's a recipe from that dishy James Martin . . . triple win!   Easy on the eyes and the master of desserts, I have never made one of his dessert recipes and NOT had it turn out perfectly.



This was fabulous.  Easy and simple . . . no special ingredients required, unless you consider cream extraordinary and I don't.   I always have it in.  It is a great make ahead, making it perfect for a celebratory feast.   You can pop it into the oven while you are enjoying the main course.



It's the perfect size for an intimate dessert a duex, and it's not chocolate.   Win/win/win/win/ . . . WINNER!
Seriously this is a fab dessert and as long as you follow the instructions directly . . . it turns out perfect every time.   It's not low fat . . . but meh . . .



Tis the day to celebrate love is it not???  And I don't think you can do that with gruel.  Something spectacular for dessert is an absolute must and this is just the ticket.  I trialed them the other day to see how they worked and my mind was made up.   I am making them again today, absolutely.  C'est tres magnifique!



*Melting Middle Caramel Cakes For Two*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe

The perfect dessert for an intimate dinner a deux!  You can make ahead and keep in the refrigerator for up to two hours before baking.  They may also be frozen ahead.  See note below for details on how to cook from frozen.

For the caramel centre:
100g (1/2 cup) soft light brown sugar
75ml of double cream (5 1/2 TBS)

For the cake:
75g of butter, softened, plus extra for buttering your tins (1/3 cup)
75g of soft light brown sugar (6 TBS)
1 large free range egg
few drops vanilla extract
75g of plain flour (3/4 cup)
pinch salt

Vanilla Ice Cream to serve



First make the caramel for the centres.  Put the brown sugar and cream in a small saucepan.  Stir over medium heat to melt the sugar.  Turn up the heat and bring it to a boil.  Let it bubble for about 3 minutes, or until thick.  Pour into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

When you are ready to assemble the cakes.  Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6  Butter two small pudding molds and dust lightly with flour, shaking out any excess.  Cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and creamy.  Beat in the egg and vanilla.  Whisk in the flour until smooth, along with a pinch of salt.  Reserve two tablespoons of the mixture and then divide it amongst the pudding basins.   Scoop out two walnut sized balls of the caramel.   Push these into the batter in the pudding basins.  Top each with 1 TBS of the remainder of the batter.

Place onto a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes.  Turn out straight away onto serving plates and serve with a scoop of ice cream and some of the remaining toffee warmed and spooned over top.

I wanted to make you something different for pancake day this year.  I try to do something special each year for you.  Last year it was Honey and Raspberry Pancakes . . . a lovely treat.  Mmmm  . . . my mouth is watering just think about them.

 

I had a real longing this year for light and fluffy pancakes, and yet hearty pancakes . . . pancakes that reminded me of my travels during my younger years, when a stay at a hotel meant pancakes for breakfast.   When I was a child my mother never ever made pancakes but for once a year, on pancake day . . . oh how we loved them.   My poor mom was stuck at the stove for hours fulfilling our pancake desires!

 

I can remember traveling through Vermont when I was a young woman and stopping at a restaurant for breakfast in the Northern Part of the State past Burlington and near to the border . . . where it gets really watery and lakey and rivery . . . I know of no other words to describe it.   It was a cool morning and the mist was rising up over the lake, in an almost ethereal way.  The perfect pancake morning.

 

I ordered pancakes for my breakfast and was served these pancakes which had been made with cornmeal, quite unlike any other I had ever eaten, and it was love, love, love at first bite.  I know that things seem to taste better with memory . . . and the memories of those pancakes are no exception.   Every time I think of them my mouth waters . . . and of course they were served with fresh Vermont Maple Syrup.  Scrummo!



And so I wanted a hearty pancake like that, modernized for today by using polenta.   I had also seen photos of pancakes on the web, that had been baked over slices of crisp bacon, the batter flowing  around the crisp bacon . . . all crisp and golden.   Oh my, but they have always looked so tasty, and so I decided to add this aspect to my 2013 pancake as well.

 

The result was a delicious pancake, moist from the use of sour milk, with nice bits of crunch throughout from the polenta . . . and that salty smoked moreish flavour from the Bacon, which goes so very well with the sweetness of the Maple Syrup.

 

And so here you have my pancake day offering for Shrove Tuesday, 2013.   Polenta and Bacon Pancakes.  Enjoy!

 

*Polenta and Bacon Pancakes*
Makes approximately 16 (8 servings)
Printable Recipe

Golden brown, sour milk tender, with a slight crunch.  Deliciously salty sweet and peppery, should you so choose.

170g of coarse polenta (cornmeal, 1 cup)
100g of plain flour (1 cup)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
16 rashers of lightly cooked dry cure rindless streaky bacon
(smoked or not, as you prefer)
393ml of sour milk (1 2/3 cup)
(to sour milk, squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the measuring beaker, and fill with
the milk to 393ml.  Allow to stand for 5 minutes before proceeding.)
2 large free range eggs
60ml of pure maple syrup (1/4 cup)
4 TBS melted unsalted butter, or bacon fat
(How naughty do you feel?)

To serve:
cold butter and maple syrup

 

Preheat the oven to low and place a baking sheet lined with baking paper inside.

Whisk the polenta, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and pepper (if using) together in a bowl.   In another bowl whisk together the sour milk, eggs, maple syrup and melted butter or bacon fat.  Blend thoroughly.   Add the wet ingredients to the dry all at once and stir together just to combine.  A few lumps are normal and welcome.  Transfer to a pouring beaker. (This will make things so much easier, trust me.)

Lightly grease your skillet and heat over medium heat.   Place a slice of bacon in the skillet, or two depending on the size of your skillet and leaving a goodly amount of space between.   Carefully pour batter over the bacon to cover.  (about 1/4 cup)  Cook, until the undersides of the pancake are golden brown and the surface of the pancake is covered with bubbles.  Carefully flip over and cook until the other sides are golden brown.  Transfer to a warm oven and keep warm while you  cook the remaining pancakes.

 

Serve hot with cold butter for spreading and plenty of Maple Syrup.

Note:  If you are feeling really indulgent you can serve them with more bacon and some cold tinned sliced peaches.  Nom! Nom!