When I was a young woman, I couldn't really afford to buy cookery books. With a growing family to care for and being a stay at home mom, cookery books were not in my budget. I used to handwrite out recipes gleaned from library books and friends and magazines into notebooks. This is one of those recipes and I can no longer remember if it came from a book, magazine or a friend, or if it was an exeriment of my own that worked out well. I tend to think that it is the latter due to the simplicity of it. Simple recipes are often the best ones don't you think?
This is a recipe that I have been baking for years and years and years. It is one of my favourite all time bars and something which my family always loved during their growing up years.
They were quite dangerous for me to bake as I couldn't keep myself from indulging if these were around. Yes, they are that good.
Its an old handwritten recipe that is splotched and splattered which speaks volumes as to just how very beloved and good these squares actually are!
I can no longer remember where or who I got it from. But wherever and whoever it was, I have been very thankful for ever since!
What you have is a beautifully moist caramel flavoured cake base. Brown sugar keeps it moist and gives it that lovely caramel flavour.
I would say it is very similar to a blondie base.
With a totally scrumptious walnut filled brown sugar meringue topping!You actually fold the walnuts into the meringue in this recipe.
They kind of sink when baking into a sweet, almost buttertart/chess pie-like filling.
The two together make for total bliss. Break out the tea pot! You will want to enjoy these with a nice hot cuppa!
Do you remember that childhood verse? Polly put the kettle on? Well . . . Polly, put the kettle on!
*Walnut Slices*
Makes one 8 by 12 inch pan
These
have long been my absolute favourite bars. I've been making these
since my kiddies were kiddies! Delicious brown sugar cake base, gooey
brown sugar and nut meringue topping. For those with a sweet tooth.
114g butter, softened (1/2 cup)
400g soft light brown sugar (2 cups packed), divided
2 tsp vanilla, divided
1/2 tsp salt
2 large free range eggs, separated
175g of plain flour (1 1/4 cups)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
115g of chopped walnuts (1 cup)
Preheat the oven to 160*C/300*F/ gas mark 3. Butter an 8 by 12 inch baking tin really well. Set aside.
Cream
together the butter and half of the sugar (200g/1cup) until light and
smooth. Beat in the salt along with half of the vanilla and the egg
yolks. Sift together the baking powder and flour. Stir this into the
creamed mixture to combine well. Spread into the prepared pan.
Whisk
the egg whites with an electric whisk until soft peaks form. Continue
to whisk, whilst adding the remaining brown sugar a bit at a time. Whisk
until all is incorporated. Stir in the chopped walnuts and remaining 1
tsp of vanilla. Spread this mixture over the cake base in the tin.
Bake
in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Allow to cool completely in the
tin before removing and cutting into bars.
Colour these impossible to resist and quite dangerous! Betcha can't eat just one! Bon Appetit!
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I wanted to make a special dessert for Todd the other night. He is awfully fond of apple desserts. I think apple desserts are one of his favourite types of desserts when it comes right down to it. He loves to wax on about his mother's apple pies . . . but in truth . . . I have never been able to make an apple pie to come up to his mother's exacting standards.
Today was "Torture Todd with Pasta Day." I know, I am a really meanie. He is not fond of pasta. I love pasta. Sometimes I just need to indulge.
Delicious Cherry Granola Breakfast Buns.
A drop type of scone, all short and buttery . . . each crumbly buttery
mound filled with delicious cherry preserves and topped with some
crunchy granola.
Baked until golden brown and then glazed with a
delicious vanilla icing drizzle.
Oh so good! Sweet and savoury at the same time, with some crunch and meltingly buttery goodness.
What's not to like??
Oh, and did I remember to tell you that they are quick as a wink to
make, easy and you can have them on the table in about 20 minutes???
Well . . . You can! Go on . . . what you waiting for??? Your family will thank you for them!
*Cherry Granola Breakfast Buns*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe
Buttery drop scones, filled with cherry preserves and granola crumbles, and then glazed with a delicious vanilla drizzle. Yummo!
280g plain flour (2 cups)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 TBS caster sugar
3/4 tsp salt
8 TBS butter, melted
225ml of cold buttermilk (1 cup)
cherry fruit preserves
1 crisp granola bar crumbled (I used Nature's Valley honey and oat)
to glaze:
2 heaped dessertspoons of icing sugar
milk
vanilla
Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Set aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and sugar. Stir together the melted butter and cold buttermilk. Stir this into the flour mixture. You should have a somewhat sticky dough of dropping consistency. Drop this mixture by heaped tablespoonful's onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space inbetween for spreading. You should get 12 mounds.
Using the back of a wet teaspoon, make a shallow hollow in the centre of each. Drop a scant teaspoon of cherry preserves into each hollow. Sprinkle some of the crumbled granola bar over each.
Bake for about 15 minutes, until browned on the bottoms and golden on the tops. Remove from the oven. Allow them to cool for a few minutes.
Whisk together the icing sugar along with a few drops of milk and vanilla, to make a drizzable consistency glaze. Drizzle over top of the breakfast buns. Serve while still warm. Store any leftovers in an airtight container. Reheat briefly in the microwave before serving. (Not too long as you don't want the jam to get too hot, about 15 to 20 seconds should do the trick.)
These are the perfect thing to bake for your sweetheart (s) this month, don't you think? Bon Appetit!
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@aol.com
My Todd is an old fashioned guy. There is nothing fancy smancy about him. He likes simple things, which is probably why he likes me so much. 😉 There is nothing fancy smancy about me either! And I, too, like simple things. Things like thie simple baked rice pudding please us both on many levels.
Not only is it delicious, but it is very easy to make and well suited to using up that little bit of leftover rice from last night's dinner.
It is just the right size for just two people, which means it is just the right size for our wee family, or for a very hungry Todd.
No, it is not pretty, but you could certainly dress it u with a dab of jam if you wished or a dollop of softly whipped cream. It is very comforting . . .
Almost nursery food . . . warm hug food. Little nuggets of rice encircled by rich milky custard. I love the skin on top. It's my favourire bit. This is perfect food for the winter blues. Enjoy . . .
*Baked Rice Pudding For Two*
Serves 2
Preheat the oven to 165*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Butter a small 5 inch square baking dish. Set aside.
Whisk together the egg and sugar, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Whisk in the milk and vanilla. Stir in the milk and rice. Pour into the prepared dish.
Place the dish with the pudding in it into a larger pan and pour hot water into the pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the dish holding the rice pudding. Bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes or until golden and set. Serve warm with or without whipped cream.
There were years when I had a hard time cooking for just two people, especially having had to cook for a large family and then my employers etc. for a number of years. I am getting used to it now, and am becoming very good at it. You could of course double this if you wished, but if you are only two, then this is the perfect winter pud for you. Bon Appetit!
No doubt about it my husband is a chop man. He does love his pork chops so very much. I can take or leave meat for the most part except for a good chop, I do love those, but Todd, he loves a good chop, and I like to accomodate him whenever I can.
Oh, I do love a good lasagne. Oftimes we will sto ourselves from making it as it can be a somewhat complicated dish, but this simple lasagne can be whiped u any time and what I love most about it is the simplicity of flavours. A simple tomato sauce, layered with bechamel and cheese . . . amongst sheets of pasta, and baked until golden. It is so good. And it is the simplicity of the flavours which make it even more delicious.
I think one of my very most favourite ingredients to work with has to be lemon curd. Well, actually one of my very favourite things to eat is Lemon Curd. I could eat it right out of the jar with a spoon. Yes . . . I am a glutton!
Lemon and Ginger are one of those flavours that go together just like peas and carrots. I would say jam and peanut butter, but that is not a combination they seem to like over here in the UK. The Toddster says we might as well eat fish and custard as eat peanut butter with jam. I guess it's a cultural thing!
Even though it's Winter and it's cold . . . I still find myself longing for the salad days of summer . . . there are some days when stodge just doesn't cut the mustard. I want lettuce, and I want it now!
Sadly there is a bit of a shortage of lettuce (and other veg) just at the moment with all of the bad weather they have had in Spain. Thankfully I was able to get a lovely head of Cos lettuce to make this. Whew!
I love fresh salads made with lovely fresh tomatoes and other salad vegetables, but in truth . . . the tomatoes at this time of year are decidedly anemic looking and tasting! There is no salvaging them!!
Instead, I choose to use fresh fruit. It adds beautiful colour, texture and flavours to my salad. eating apples and pears . . . the fruits of winter . . . along with some sweetly chewy dried cranberries, little jewels of colour . . .
Tossed together with some lovely cos (Romaine) lettuce . . . crisp and crunchy and slightly bitter . . . just perfect with the sweetness of the fruit . . .
Crunchy salty roasted cashew nuts . . . Creamy sweet nutty emmenthal cheese . . .
And a sweet and sour lemon and poppy seed dressing . . . homemade of course!
You get the tartness of the lemon combined with the sweetness of sugar . . . a little bite from some grated onion and the crunch of poppy seeds.
Oh, my . . . this is some good, and does the trick. I am happy . . . for now . . .
*Winter Fruit Salad with a Lemon and Poppy Seed Dressing*
Serves 6 to 8
Printable Recipe
A perfect blend of crunchy cos lettuce, sweet apples, pears and cranberries, salty cashew nuts and nutty emmenthal cheese, swathed in a tangy lemon and poppy seed dressing. Delicious!
1 pound of cos lettuce hearts, washed, dried and torn into bits
(Romaine lettuce, 16 ounces)
6 ounces emmenthal cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler (Swiss cheese)
150g of roasted salted cashew nuts (1 cup)
75g of sweetened dried cranberries (1/2 cup)
1 large eating apple, washed, cored and thinly sliced
1 large ripe pear, washed, cored and thinly sliced
For the Dressing:
95g of white sugar (1/2 cup)
125ml fresh lemon juice (1/2 cup)
2 tsp finely grated onion
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
150ml of salad oil (2/3 cup)
1 TBS poppy seeds
(This will make more dressing than you need, but you can store it in the refrigerator and
use it for other salads.)
To make the dressing, shake all of the dressing ingredients together in a large jar until emulsified. Set aside.
Toss the lettuce, cheese, nuts, cranberries, apple slices and pear slices together in a bowl. Divide amongst chilled serving plates. Give the dressing a good shake again and drizzle some of the dressing over the salads. Pass remaining dressing so that people can top it up as need be on their own salads.
Note - You can use an equivalent of artificial sweetener in the dressing if you like, or honey which works quite well.
Bon Appetit!
We have an Elder serving us here in the Chester Ward area at the moment from Australia. Elder Van Dyken. As you know I love to feed the missionaries and help them out whenever I can. Last Friday Elder Van Dyken and Elder Allen were sweet enough to bring us a meal because they knew that Todd might not be feeling well after his procedure on Thursday, and so I thought I would do something for them in return. I was always taught that you never give back a dish empty and so I decided to bake them some Azac Biscuits (cookies) in honor of Australia day which is on the 26th of January. (Today as you read this.)
I have been making my own chicken stock for as long as I can remember. Whenever we have the bones left from a roasted chicken I put them into a container in the freezer (if I am not going to use them right away). That way I have them at the ready to use to make a delicious stock and then soup whenever I need them. You can also use raw chicken backs and necks to make a stock, but there is a little bit more faffing required as you need to skim the broth frequently to remove any scum which rises to the top. I prefer to use the bones leftover from a roast chicken myself.
Here I am today with part two of yesterday back to the basics post with a delicious idea of what to do with your roast chicken leftovers. In all truth we eat a lot of chicken in this house and I have about a bazillion ways of dealing with it I am truly the Queen of Leftovers!
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