I just love cinnamon.   It has to be my favourite of the warm spices.  It comes from the inner bark of a few different trees, and is great in both sweet and savory dishes.  I think the smell of cinnamon in the air makes a house smell like a home.



I was on Pinterest the other day and I found a recipe that looked fabulous.   (Don't you just love Pinterest?)  It came from a blog called Lauren's Latest.   They looked to good that I had to print it out and I could hardly wait for the weekend so that I could make them for us to enjoy.



You will want to use the small pretzel twists for these.  You know the ones.  They are about 1 1/2 inch in size.  Lightly salted.   Don't use any that are flavoured with anything else.  That would just be ucky.


 

Make sure you mix all of the ingredients together really well when you are mixing in the cinnamon sugar so that they all get coated evenly.  I found that  the cinnamon suar didn't get evenly distrubuted that easily, although to be honest the ones that the holes got stogged full of crunchy cinnamon sugar were my favourite bits!



I know my photos are not the greatest of these, but the weather was really cruddy today and the lighting was really poor, so they are a bit darker than I would like, but I hope that doesn't put you off from trying them, coz they are really, really good!

 

The original recipe called for drizzling white chocolate over the baked and cooled pretzels.  I have never been able to get white chocolate to drizzle properly . . . it usually just clumps for me, but I found dipping them worked quite well and we quite liked them.    Wouldn't they just make the nicest friendship gift for a special friend as a surprise?  I think so too!

The recipe I have to show you here today is a French recipe. The French and English share a somewhat tenuous love/hate relationship I think . . . we've come to love their cafe culture and flock over the channel in hordes to partake of their lovely foods and cheeses . . . and yet at the same time . . . we're not quite ready to embrace them as a people . . . nor are they ready to embrace us I don't think.  It is possible perhaps they will always see us a little bit as intruders . . . and more than a little bit crazy.

 

They think we work too hard . . . we eat too fast . . . we don't know how to relax .  .  .  our cheeses are boring (NOT) and the only thing we know how to cook properly  is Roast Beef.  We think they have a tendency to be a bit laisser faire about life . . . they take too long to eat . . . they eat far too much garlic, and they are missing cheddar in their cheese shops (only the best cheese in the world, lol) . . . not to mention, they eat some pretty strange things like escargots and frogs legs . . .  oh, and all  the men have mistresses . . .

(Note . . . these are only random generalizations . . . and not the way I really think.  I am merely taking a fun poke at things.  My father is French.)

 

In reality, I love French food and patisserie . . . I always have done . . . especially the rustic country fare . . . and who does bread better than the French???   I don't think anyone can beat their bread . . . the first thing I do when we go across to Calais on the Ferry is to indulge in a fresh Almond Croissant . . . and don't get me started on their Macarons . . . I just adore them.  I could quite happily spend a week in a French Patisserie, indulging all of my whims and pastry fantasies.

 

This cake here today is a recipe which I gleaned from one of my favourite cookery books "Under the Walnut Tree, great recipes from our kitchen" by mother and daughter,  Anna and Fanny Bergenstrom.  No, they are not French.  They're Swedish, but their cooking is a happy mix of all things European, including this lovely cake, entitled "Granny's French Pear and Almond Cake."

 

It's a lovely cake, gluten free . . . loaded with beautiful ripe pears . . . ground almonds  . . . and I added a touch of ground cardamom as pears and cardamom are such a quintessentially beautiful partnership and marriage of flavours.

 

The end result is a cake that is a beautiful light . . .  almost ethereal . . . creation.  Simple and yet divine.  Feel free to make this in individual dishes if you wish.  That would be so sweet upon the table I think . . . for today though, I just baked it in one 8 by 10 porcelain baking dish . . . and it looked every bit as lovely as it tasted.

 

Enjoy.



*French Pear, Almond and Cardamom Cake*
Serves 4 to 5
Printable Recipe

A light cake, stogged full of lovely sweet pears, ground almonds and just the merest hint of cardamom, which goes so very well with the pear.  Serve warm with some pouring cream.  If I am not mistaken this is also gluten free.

100g of ground almonds (19 TBS)
2 TBS butter, softened for buttering the dish
4 large firm, ripe pears
100g of butter, at room temperature (7 TBS)
100g of golden caster sugar (8 1/2 TBS)
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
pinch salt
2 medium free range eggs
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
icing sugar to dust
pouring cream or vanilla ice cream to serve

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Butter an oven proof dish with the soft butter.

Peel your pears, core them and then cut them into thick wedges.  Arrange the wedges in the prepared baking dish and then pop them into the heated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, while you mix together the batter.

Cream together the butter and caster sugar until light.  Stir in the ground almonds, cardamom and salt.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time.  Stir in the lemon juice until the mixture is smooth and combined.  Remove the baking dish from the oven and spread the almond batter over top of the pear wedges.

Return to the oven and bake for a further 15 minutes. 

Dust the warm cake with some icing sugar and serve either  on it's own, or with some pouring cream or vanilla bean ice cream.

This is a reposting of an earlier post, but so good I thought you would not mind me repeating it.  I will be back tomorrow with something brand new!

 

As you all know I occasionally get sent products to try.  I was recently contacted and asked if I would like to try some of  the Garofalo range of gluten free pastas.  New to the UK since last autumn it is made with a combination of corn, quinoa and rice.  I'm not normally a fan of quinoa, but I figured that it wouldn't really matter if it was in a pasta and not served as a grain on it's own.



I was sent a package of Penne Rigate and a package of  Casarecce.  (Don't ask me to pronounce that last one!)  As you can see from the package they looked just like regular pasta.

From their page:

Can a producer of ‘normal pasta’, using a raw material containing the best gluten, produce an excellent gluten free pasta? The answer is in our philosophy and focus on the product: Good taste is a right. 

We set our selves the objectives of creating a product with the knowledge that Garofalo pasta is synonymous with the experience of taste. We knew that the flavour could not be the same due to the different raw materials, but it was of great importance to us to produce a Garofalo pasta that was no better or worse in flavour, just different. It was not to be just for those on a gluten free diet but a new cooking opportunity for everyone. It was equally important to produce a healthy product, which in the end might even be better than normal pasta. 

We have worked extensively on this line, which is not produced in our factory because of the risk of contamination with our pasta containing wheat, and remain in control at all levels from the raw materials to the production methods. The results are a product that is extremely good, especially when compared to the gluten free products currently on the market, but we are confident we can improve it even more. The phrase “it’s good considering it’s gluten-free” is not enough, we believe the pasta can reach the levels of pasta made with durum wheat semolina.  

I decided to cook and present what I was sent in two different ways so that I could see how it performed.  The first was to cook it and make a type of macaroni and cheese with it.  I used the Penne for this as it was the most suitable.



Here it is cooked and draining.  As you can see it looks like any other type of pasta which has been cooked. I had in mind to do a macaroni and cheese type of casserole with this, adding broccoli for extra colour, fiber and taste.    

  

I folded both into a delicious cheese sauce and then poured them into a casserole dish, topped the casserole with more cheese and then baked it until it was golden brown. 



You would be hard pressed to tell this pasta from any other kind of pasta.  It looked completely normal.

  

It tasted completely normal as well, although I did find it to be a bit chewier in consistency, but this is something which could be handled well by simply cooking it for a bit longer, and of course texture is all a matter of taste.   Some people like their pasta a little firmer and on the al dente side.  I do sometimes and I don't at others.  With a mac and cheese type of dish I would have liked it to be a bit softer. 



Other than that there was no discernible different, truly.  This was fabulous.  I thought the pasta tasted nice, just like any other pasta and had I not known it was gluten free I would not have been able to tell.   I gavew it a 10 out of 10 for taste, and performance.  Well done to the Garofalo people.

   

Bake in the heated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.  Serve hot.   


 

For the Casarecce I decided that I would make a sauce that it could be stirred into.  Something which would cling to all those folds and get into those crevices.

 

A simple sauce of tinned tomatoes, herbs, and pasta sauce, with onions, garlic and two cheeses to make it creamy.  Nicely flavoured. 



A sauce it could just be stirred into and not cooked in.

  

Once again it performed really well.  Other than the fact that once again it was a bit chewier than I normally like, you would not have been able to discern any difference between this and the regular pasta, which again could be easily remedied by cooking the pasta in it's initial cooking for a tiny bit longer, and also is a matter of preference and taste.  It tasted great and the sauce worked well with it. I gave it a ten out of ten as well. 



Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.   Add the onion and saute to soften without browning.  Once softened add the garlic,  Cook for one minute until very fragrant.   Add the tomatoes and bring to the boil.  Cook for a couple minutes, then stir in the pasta sauce, herbs and salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer for about 10 minutes, then whisk in the cheeses and allow them to melt.  Stir in the pasta and heat through.  Serve hot with more Parmesan for sprinkling at the table.   

 


Altogether I was very happy with both pastas.  I don't have a problem with wheat but we have friends with a son who does and it's nice to know that there are more and more products out there that are available for people with a gluten intolerance.

Giving up gluten without compromising flavour or texture is the premise behind the Garofalo lines of pasta products.  With a wide range of types and high attention to production and product performance Italy's most popular pasta makers have come up with a real winner here. 

The Garofalo lines of gluten free pastas are available online via Ocado and Nifeislife.

Many thanks to the people at Garofalo for sending me these pastas to try out!

See this guy??? When I was a child, I was very familiar with him. He's the guy that was responsible for all the pizza, spaghetti and other Italian delicacies that we ate in our house.



In fact this (Chef Boyardee Ravioli in Tomato and Meat Sauce) was a real treat! I was an adult before I realized that Ravioli didn't have to come in a tin, and that Chef Boyardee didn't have to make it . . . that there was a whole world of different Ravioli out there . . . not just meat . . . there was delicious cheese ravioli, and vegetable ravioli . . . mama mia! What a delicious discovery that was!



But, alas . . . the kid in me still craves the comfort of Chef Boyardee once in a while . . . he's like a naughty addiction that I keep wanting to return to.

No Chef Boyardee here in the UK.



So . . . what's a gal to do . . . you put your big girl panties on and you adapt, that's what!!!
And sometimes, you even come up with something thats even better than the original . . . but really . . . . how hard was it to top pasta in a tin . . . hahaha . . . not hard at all.



I still used the convenience of storebought fresh ravioli, and jarred sauce.
I also used extra lean steak mince, and I always, always grate all my own cheese. Those pre-grated cheeses have something nasty in them to help keep them flowing easy. You don't want to eat that do you???? I thought not!!



It was way better than Chef Boyardee, and Todd even offered to don a chef's hat if I wanted him to . . . ☺☺☺



I don't want any e-mails from you purists out there . . . I know this isn't exactly Italian . . . nor is it English, but it is MY kitchen, and once in a while you just have to throw caution to the wind and go with it. C'est la vie. (yes, that's French.)



*Layered Ravioli Bake*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

Quick, simple and quite delicious.

700g of spaghetti sauce
(I used two 350g jars of Napolini, about 4 cups in total)
2 pounds of cheese ravioli, thawed if frozen
1 pound extra lean steak mince
1/2 pound of mozzarella cheese, grated
(8 ounces, about 2 cups)
3.5 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese (1 cup)

Prepare the ravioli according to the package directions. Drain well and set aside.

Spray a large skillet with some nonstick spray and brown the mince until there is no longer any pink showing. Stir in the spaghetti sauce. Heat to a simmer. (If your sauce is lacking in zing, add some dried basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.)

Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7.

Spoon about one cup of the meat sauce into the bottom of an ungreased 11 by 7 inch baking dish. Top with half of the drained ravioli. Top with half of the remaining sauce and half of each cheese. Finish off with the rest of the ravioli, sauce and cheese.

Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes. 

This is a repeat.  I have something wierd going on with my arm and haven't been able to cook today.  Hoping to get into the Dr to look at it today and see what's up with it.  The Toddster cooked dinner tonight . . . man food.  Tinned beans, pasties and some frozen potato nuggets.  It was awfully nice of him to do that.  And he did the dishes too.  Wish me luck at the Dr.  I want to get back in the kitchen!  I have a lot of tastiness planned and it's making me sad I'm not able to do any of it!

I do get sent the nicest things.  I am always happy to try something new and when that something is chocolate . . .  well, what can I say??  I am in seventh heaven!

I was recently sent  the Prestat 40g Heart Box Assortment to taste, just in time for Valentines Day, the day of love and for sweethearts everywhere.



It contains three beautiful little chocolates as you can see here. Rice Crisp Nougat, Dark Chocolate Truffle and a Passion Fruit Fondant. Beautiful to look at . . .pretty in pink and what a cute box.

 

Delicious to the taste.  I did not share.  Yes, I was greedy, but what's a gal to do?   I'm only human after all!



The Prestat Heart Boxes come in a variety of sizes starting at £6.50 for the one which I was sent.  I'll be honest here . . . I wouldn't mind having a bigger one!  *Hint* to the Toddster.  Valentine's day is just round the corner . . . diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but Chocolate comes a very close second!

A bit of history.

In 1902, a chocolate shop called Prestat was opened in London by descendants of Louis Dufour, the man who created the world’s first recorded chocolate truffle. · Prestat’s reputation for making exquisite handmade chocolates quickly spread and before too long, maharajas, sultans, presidents and stars of the stage and screen had all experienced the delight that only the finest chocolate can bring.

Roald Dahl, the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, was a particularly good customer, and in his autobiographical recipe book, Memories of Gypsy Corner, he wrote, “I also adore so-called truffles…as Prestat makes them.” · Prestat’s quintessential Mints and their Rose and Violet Crèmes were Her Majesty The Queen Mother’s favourite chocolates. Both The Queen Mother and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II granted the business a Royal Warrant and Prestat chocolates continue to be served at every major state banquet. 

 Ever since Bill Keeling and his half-brother, Nick Crean, bought the business in 1998, Prestat has enjoyed one of the most exciting chapters in its history. In 2011, Prestat began selling chocolates in the USA. 

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.

Prestat's iconic packaging has been designed by the artist and illustrator, Kitty Arden and Prestat Chocolates have won no less than seven Gold great taste awards over the past two years.  High accolade indeed!

I saw some Irish Pancakes (of the Paul Rankin variety) in the shops the other day and I found myself wondering what was the difference between them and Scotch Pancakes or even the buttermilk pancakes from back home.



I decided to find out myself what it was, if any, and so I set out to do some research. What I discovered was quite, quite delicious!



These tasty buttermilk pancakes are a lot fluffier than the American version, but very similar to the Scotch. I don't know why, or how it works, but only that it works. Perhaps it could be that our buttermilk over here is a bit different than the buttermilk from back home. Ours is a lot thicker.



The idea of eating pancakes merely with some butter and jam was never something that I ever considered before moving over here. It seemed that they always tasted fab with butter and Maple Syrup, and I was never tempted to have them any other way, and in truth that is probably the best way of eating American style pancakes.



These however just beg to be spread with softened butter and dolloped with preserves a-la-scone like! Golden, light and fluffy they have a beautiful texture and flavour.



Do be sure to cook as soon as possible after mixing them together. The Soda reacts immediately to the buttermilk and if you delay you won't get the right lift!



Enjoy! (A hot cuppa is a must!)



*Irish Pancakes*
Amount is variable on how large you make them,
but generally speaking makes 4 to 6 servings
Printable Recipe

Better than the American kind I think. Golden, light and fluffy. Serve hot with some softened butter, preserves (or syrup) and a nice hot mug of whatever floats your boat.

8 ounces plain flour (2 cups)
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 large free range egg
1/2 pint (1 cup) buttermilk

Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Whisk well together and then make a well in the middle with a wooden spoon and add the egg. Break the yolk and pour in the buttermilk, mixing quickly to a thick batter. Do not beat, as this would develop the gluten in the flour and prevent the pancakes from rising. Fry in large dollops on a lightly-greased, hot griddle or heavy frying-pan. These delights are best served hot for tea, thickly spread with softened butter and preserves or golden syrup.

This is a repost from an earlier time.  Some things just beg to be redone.  These are one of them.  I had made some Cheese and Spinach Souffle's today and the recipe was wonky, so I can't show you them!   I am e-mailing the company and having a word!