Occasionally you run across a cake that is so squidgilly good that you either have to share it right away, or hide it and hog it all to yourself. *tee hee*
This delicious loaf cake falls into both those categories. I kid you not. At first bite you will want to run to your bestest friend or partner and share it with them, coz something this scrummy just begs to be shared . . . but then again, the glutton in you may be tempted to want to hide it and save it all for yourself!
Truth be told . . . you probably won't be winning any beauty contests with this. It's just not that pretty a cake. It doesn't rise really high and have a pretty peak in the centre . . . it may even get a little dark on the outside before it gets completely cooked, but do not fear . . . that ugliness, low height . . . and yes the darkness are just it's humble way of hiding the truth of it's complete ND TOTALLY decadent squidgieness . . .
It's so dense and so moist and so totally stogged full of lovely bits . . . stem ginger, 5 whole sticky nobs of that delicious gold all finely chopped . . . a lovely large handful of soft ready to eat prunes, again finely chopped . . . and no less than 3 tsp of powdered ginger. There is lots of flavour and texture going on here . . .
Not to mention the fudgy-ness you get from a cake full of butter and dark muscovado sugar . . . and golden syrup . . . sweet caramel flavoured golden syrup . . .
And if THAT'S not enough to convice you that you have to go out and bake this cake NOW, the top of the cake is brushed with oodles of the syrup from the stem ginger jar when it first comes out of the oven and is still hot enough to absorbe all that gooey stickiness . . . and then sprinkled with golden demerara sugar on top . . . just to add a bit of class and crunch.
I can't believe you are still here reading this. Just look at that cake. Take a virtual bite and then run . . . run as fast as you can to the store to pick up the ingredients, then dash home and turn on the stove and break out the mixer. This is one cake you will not want to pass by!
Seriously folks. This is a keeper. But you will be tempted to share . . . maybe. Depends on how greedy you are . . . sigh . . .
*Sticky Stem Ginger & Prune Cake*
Makes one medium loaf,
Makes one medium loaf,
cutting into approximately 10 slices
This cake will keep very well in a covered tin for about 4 to 5 days, should you have it around that long! I'll confess . . . it's even better spread with butter, but shhh . . . I didn't tell you that.
I am really grateful to my mother for having taught me the principles of thrift when I was a child. Clothes were mended and handed down. Anything that wasn't wearable any longer was turned into rags for cleaning and other chores, and when my mother cooked anything at all there was absolutely no waste whatsoever.
When a roast or a chicken was cooked, everything got used, right down to the bones, and she always bought meat with bones in it . . . my mom made the most beautiful soups from the leftover roasted bones . . . chicken soup, turkey soup, pea and ham soup, vegetable beef soup . . . and we loved them. Her homemade soup was a real treat and we always looked forward to it.
One other thing she did was she used the leftover vegetables, gravy and some of the meat to make beautiful pot pies. My mom made the best pot pies and we loved these more than anything that she made, probably even more than the actual roast dinners! Turkey, chicken, beef, pork, they all got made into pot pies.
She would freeze them and then take them out a week or two later and we knew we were in for a real treat for supper! You could keep those frozen pot pies that were all gravy and no substance. We were so thoroughly spoiled by our mom's pies that those frozen pretenders fell far short of the mark.
Todd always loves it when I make him a pot pie from our roast leftovers too. He is such a pie man Something else we have in common amongst the many things we share. I love that about him. Sigh . . . and I love homemade pot pies!
*Basic Flaky Pie Crust*
For a double crust pie, or two singles
1/2 cup cold water (125ml)
*Beef Pot Pie*
Makes one 9 inch pie
My
mother often made these with leftover roast beef, or even roast pork.
We loved them and in fact I would even go so far as to say we loved
these pies even better than the roast dinner!Makes one 9 inch pie
2 large mugs full of cooked roast beef, cubed
chopped green beans)
1 egg yolk, beaten together with 1 TBS milk
Line the bottom of a nine inch pie tin with pastry, having about a two inch overhang. Set aside.
Mix
together the meat, potatoes, vegetables, grated onion, herbs, and gravy
with salt and black pepper to taste in a bowl. Scrape into the lined
pie dish. Roll out the other half of the pastry to cover. Place over
top. Trim the edgs and seal together. Flute decoratively. Cut a few
vents in the top of the pie to let steam out. Brush with the beaten egg
yolk. Place onto the baking tray and place into the heated oven. Bake
for 15 minutes. Decrease the temperature to 180*C?350*F/ gas mark 5
and bake for a further 30 to 45 minutes, until the crust is nicely
browned and crisp on the bottom and the filling is bubbling and cooked
through. You may need to cover it lightly with foil if the pastry is
browning too quickly.
Remove from the oven and allow to stand for about 10 minutes before cutting into wedges to serve.
Have a great Friday and to my Canadian friends and family . . .
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
I am no stranger to the Crazy Jack Organic products. I often buy their coconut and pine nuts. I was recently sent a bag of their Soft Apricots to try and I don't mind telling you . . . I have fallen totally and completely in love!
They may not be pretty, but that's because there are no sulphates used in the drying process. Dried in the traditional way, under the hot sun, they have a rich, sweet, intense almost caramel-like flavour and fudgy texture. It's no wonder they just scooped Gold and were awarded the outright winner in it's category of Best Store Cupboard Staple in the annual Soil Associaltion Food Awards for 2013!
I was going to use them to bake a tasty treat with, but these are just so good I couldn't help eating them out of hand. Soft dried apricots are naturally high in fibre, low in sodium and a great source of natural iron and potassium (great for the blood pressure), as well as being full of antioxidant phytonutrients. These are one jam packed full of nutrients healthy snack! I love that they contain no artificial additives, colours, no added sugars or preservatives and they are gluten free.
What a wonderfully healthy alternative to the candy bar, biscuit or cake!
Love, Love, LOVE!
Many thanks to the Crazy Jack people for sending them out to me to try! They are available from Tesco, Ocado, Amazon and all good health food shops for £2.99.
Note - I was sent these apricots for free to try out, but all opinions are my own!
We had one set of the Missionary Sisters serving in our area to supper the other night. (We have two sets of Sisters and one of Elders, and we try to feed each set once a month!) We do love to feed them and spend time with them. Its a very small thing to do and they very much appreciate it. I like to think that if I had a son or a daughter serving on a mission in another part of the world, people would be kind to them too.
Generally speaking if they are from North America, I try to give them a little taste of home away from home . . . so this time I made my Meatloaf Pie for them, along with roasted garlic mash and some vegetables and salad. I think they enjoyed. At least I hope that they did. They ate it all up at any rate!
For dessert I wanted to make something which would showcase the lovely apples we grow on our own apple tree. These are a dessert apple . . . and I am really bad because I can't remember what the name of them is, only that they were a variety of apple that was good for both eating and cooking.
I decided to make an apple crostata. A crostata is an Italian type of free form tart, usually composed of a filling placed on a round of pastry, the edge folded partially over the filling, and then baked. Crisply crusted and delicious, they can be either savory or sweet. Needless to say this one was sweet.
(I do make a delicious savoury one with spinach, peas and gruyere, which is really tasty too.)
I like the rustic look of these free form tarts. This one has a crisp sweet pastry base, and a buttery crumble topping. It went down a real treat, cut into wedges and served with a dollop of creme fraiche.
Ice cream, pouring cream, or custard would go very well also. In any case . . . there were no complaints. We had the leftovers today for our lunch and, although the base had softened a tiny bit from sitting, it was still delicious. Best on the day, but still good a day later. I don't know about you, but that spells winner to me!
*Spiced Apple Crostata*
Serves 6
Crisp sweet pastry encases a free form sweet apple tart, topped with a spiced buttery crumb. Delicious! Serves 6
For the filling:
To finish:
Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Have ready a large baking sheet.
Allow to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Dust with some icing sugar prior to serving if desired.
I do get sent the nicest things, and I'm quite happy to try just about anything anyone wants to send me. Most times I am not disappointed and others I am ecstatic, especially when it comes down to being sent chocolate goodies, so when I was recently contacted by Prestat and asked would I like to try out their Finest Truffle Advent Calendar, I jumped at the chance!
Established in 1902, Prestat is one of the oldest chocolate houses in London and every truffle is handmade in Great Britain. Prestat’s first shop was opened in London by descendants of Louis Dufour, the man who created the world’s first recorded chocolate truffle.
mmmm . . . truffles, who doesn't love truffles. I adore them, and I will put my hand up, I had never tasted a Prestat Truffle until afforded this opportunity.
The packaging is bright and colourful and religious. I loved that on all counts. As a person who is always seeking to put the "Christ" into Christmas, the vision of the Three Kings was a plus for me. It is also very "Adult" looking, and not overly childish, so I immediately saw this as being an Advent Calendar that I would be happy giving to my Adult friends and family.
A really neat feature of it is this bit on the back which makes it possible for you to . . .
Stand it upright as somewhat of a focal point. This truly can become a part of your Christmas decor if you so wish it to! I love the bright colours myself.
It contains two of each of twelve different Prestat Truffles. The names are so enticing . . . Orange and Frankincense . . . Coconut Oasis . . . Pistachio Summer . . . Sicilian Key Lime . . . Ginger Fire, to name but a few. Each one sounding more delicious than the last.
The front is filled with 24 easy press open doors, each one embossed by the number of the day, from one to twenty four.
Nestled inside a sturdy plastic holder is a sweet delight . . . with it's very own paper case. Beautifully decorated and looking tastily lush . . . tempting.
Orange and Frankincense . . . the delicate flavour and warmth of orange, with just a hint of the scent of frankincense, altogether beautifully melded into a creamy rich and velvety smooth filling encased in a crisp and beautifully decorated chocolate shell.
Sigh . . . it's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it.
My verdict. Total bliss. Worth the indulgence. The perfect pleasure gift for that chocolate lover in your life. With 24 luxury truffles inside, well worth the expense.
Prestat is one of the few British artisan chocolatiers to make all its own chocolates – giving it complete control of recipes and the sourcing of ingredients as well as the opportunity to nurture the traditional skills needed to create its handcrafted chocolates.
Follow them on TWITTER
Follow them on FACEBOOK
Read more on their BLOG
Many thanks to Lucy and Prestat for affording me this most delicious opportunity. Any and all opinions are my own.
I think scones have to be one of the most popular of all the quick breads. Similar to the North American biscuit, but not quite the same. Typically scones are a bit sweeter than North American Biscuits, not to be confused with cookies! We may call cookies biscuits over here, but if you go to North American and request a biscuit with your cup of tea you are going to get something like a scone! Not that that would be disappointing or anything, but I'd rather dunk a Digestive Biscuit than a scone!
I have to say I have never bought a scone in a shop that I enjoyed as much as I enjoy the ones I make at home. Tis true. I admit it. I may be a bit of a scone snob though . . . and I've never been known to turn one down, shop bought or not. I'm just saying that homemade ones are infinitely better than any you will find in a shop.
There are a few things that you can do to make sure you scones are always light and well risen with straight sides.
- Handle the dough as little as possible. Try not to over mix the liquid ingredients into the dry. You can knead them very gently to bring the dough together, but take care not to over do it, a few gentle turns should do the trick.
- Pat, don't roll. I find that patting the dough out gently with my hands yields a much more tender scone.
- Use a sharp floured cutter to cut them out and use a sharp tapping motion, straight up and down. Do not twist the cutter, or your scones will be lopsided and raise unevenly.
There are all kinds of delicious scones available today. I have posted quite a few tasty versions of the Scone, including my absolute favourite version . . . Maple Walnut. Today however I wanted to show you a version that is a tiny bit different.
These are like a cross between a savory and a sweet scone. There is no sugar in them at all . . . but the apple that you grate into the mix does add a bit of sweetness that goes so very well with the strong cheddar that is also in the mix.
The result is a delicious scone with a tender wholesome crumb. I love the melted cheese on the outsides and I can tell you they make a lovely light lunch with a slab of cheddar and some good mango chutney!
*Apple and Cheddar Scones*
makes about 8
Printable Recipe
Beautiful scones, moist and tender on the inside and yet crisp on the outside. Apples and cheese, the perfect combination!
225g of self raising flour (1 2/3 cups)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
50g of unsalted butter, chilled (3 1/2 TBS)
1 tsp dry mustard powder
75g extra mature English cheddar cheese, grated (3/4 of a cup)
1 eating apple, washed and dried
100ml of milk (6 1/2 TBS)
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Butter a baking sheet and set aside.
Sift the flour into a bowl along with the salt and baking powder. Drop in the butter and then rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Stir in the mustard powder and 2/3 of the cheese. Grate the apple into the bowl, using the large holes of a box grater. Discard the core and pips. Mix well to coat the apple with the flour. Pour in the milk and mix together with a round bladed knife to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into 8 rounds. Gather together the scraps and repeat as necessary. Place onto the baking sheet, leaving some space in between. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over top of them all.
Bake in the heated oven for 15 minutes, until well risen and golden brown. Scoop off onto a wire rack to cool. Serve warm, or cold as desired.
Note: I like to use a 3 inch round cutter for these.
Parmesan Crusted Pork Tenderloin. This is a delicious Parmesan Crusted Pork tnderloin keto friendly way of cooking a nice piece of meat. We actually don't eat a lot of red meat in this house.
In fact, it is a very rare thing. I am inclined to eat less and less of it these days, but . . . when I do, I try to make it a treat.
And so, when we do have it we will indulge ourselves with a nice steak, or a good roast . . . some nice pork or lamb chops, or . . . as in this recipe here today . . . the filet mignon of the pork kingdom, a good free range Pork fillet, as it is called over here, or Pork Tenderloin in North America.
This is a cut of pork that comes from the loin, the eye fillet. It is a lazy muscle, which means it is very tender and lean.
It can also be somewhat lacking in flavour when compared to the shoulder or the leg, but it also provides a beautiful canvas (much like the chicken breast) for you to paint upon it with lucious combinations of flavours in the shape of special rubs or sauces.
It also means that it is easily prone to drying out and so great care must be taken not to over cook it. I believe in this modern age it is quite acceptable to cook the tenderloin just until it is pink inside.
You will come to no harm. Remove any tough white membrane or sinew from the outside of the loin
before cooking (easily done with a sharp knife.), or the silverskin as it is known.
There is a great tutorial on how to do that with photographs, here.
If roasting a whole loin, stuffing it will help keep it
moist (prunes, apples, mushrooms, blue cheese are all good stuffing
ingredients) as will a splash of liquid added to the roasting tin (wine,
cider or stock all work well).
Cut into slices (medallions) or strips,
pork fillet can be pan-fried in a matter of minutes. Really, do take care not to over cook it and dry it out.
Today I coated it with a simple herb and cheese crust, along with some olive oil. It was cooked in a mere 30 minutes.
Whilst it was cooking I created a delicious Green Olive and Lemon Sauce to serve spooned over top of those tender slices of pork.
It made a change from gravy. It was so delicious. This is truly Dinner Party Fare, so you will want to book mark it for one of those special occasions!
What's nice about it too, is that it is quick and very easy to prepare and has such a lovely presentation. Enjoy!
*Parmesan Crusted Pork Tenderloin*
with aGreen Olive and Lemon Sauce
For the sauce heat the olive oil in a shallow pan. Add the shallot and soften, stirring frequently. Add the chicken stock or wine and bring to the boil. Reduce by 1/2. Whisk in the lemon juice and olives. Taste and adjust seasoning. Tip any juices accumulated into the roasting pan into the sauce and whisk in.
Serve the pork cut into 1/2 inch slices with some of the sauce spooned over top.
I like to serve this with mash and a green vegetable.
This was absolutely lovely. Sometimes I make myself very proud of what I have done. Forgive me for my lack of humility on this occasion! Sometimes what I do even amazes me. I love it when that happens.
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.
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