On the weekends, new year or not, I crave something homemade and comforting . . . and in the Winter this means something which reminds me of home.
There is nothing like an old fashioned bake to chase away the Winter apres-holiday blues!
I especially love bakes such as gingerbreads . . . they smell delicious when they are baking.
Infusing your home with the delightful smells of ginger (natch), cinnamon, allspice, cardamom . . .
I don't know about you, but these warm baking spices make me think of hugs and my mama's lap . . .
They also make me think of my Gran because this delicious crumb cake is very like something which she would have baked.
A simple crumb mixture which forms not only the basis for a deliciously spiced and moist cake, but also a fabulous buttery crumb topping . . . but that is not all . . .
It is accompanied by a lovely sweet, buttery creamy sauce that you spoon warm, over top of the cake . . . this is oh so tasty.
If you only bake one thing this weekend, let it be this . . . you will not regret it, I promise you.
*Ginger Crumb Cake with Butter Sauce*
Serves 9
Preheat the oven to 190*C/365*F/ gas mark 5. Butter an 8 inch square baking tin and line with paper. Set aside.
Cream
together the butter and sugar in a bowl, until well combined. Sift the
flour into the bowl, along with the ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom
and salt. Mix together with a wooden spoon until the mixture is well
blended and crumbly. Remove 54g (1/3 cup) and set aside. Whisk together
the buttermilk, molasses and beaten egg. Stir the bicarbonate of soda
into the main bowl of crumbs. Add the wet mixture to this and blend
well. Pour into the prepared tin and then sprinkle the reserves 54g
(1/3 cup) of crumbs evenly over top.
Bake in
the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in
the centre comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly
touched.
In a small saucepan, combine all of
the sauce ingredietns. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring
constantly. Reduce to a simmer, and simmer over low heat, stirring
occasionally for 4 minutes.
You will want to break out the teapot with this one. A nice hot cuppa is the perfect go with. Enjoy this as a part of your morning weekend brunch, or as Elevenses with your tea, or as a delicious pudding for after dinner. Whenever you choose to enjoy this, you are sure to fall in love. Destined to become a family favourite! Bon Appetit!
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I am a real lover of scones. They speak to my food loving heart on every level.
Flakey and slightly sweet, ready to be spread with something you enjoy, or even all on their own, served with hot cups of tea, herbal or otherwise.
They are as comfortable gracing the table on special occasions such as a High Tea as they are sitting on an afterschool tea plate for when you have those late afternoon munchies.
This recipe has been adapted from one I found in my recipe box, handwritten on a piece of paper, a long, long time ago. I can't really tell you where it came from.
There is no photo, just the recipe, penned in my lazy scrawl. I know that I only ever copied out recipes that were solidly appealing however and so I knew it had to be a winner.
There were several things about this recipe which called my name. First the amount of butter and way of incorporating it told me that these would be flaky . . .
and the use of an egg wash and sprinkle of brown sugar on the scones prior to baking sounded, well . . . incredibly yummy!
I have often sprinkled a bit of caster sugar on top or demerara sugar (turbinado sugar), but the brown sugar has a truly lovely effect.
It kind of melts with the egg wash and makes a nice sugary crust.
Another thing that appealed was the use of fresh orange zest combined with tiny bejeweled black currants . . .
the smell of the orange zest is amazing, both when you are putting them together and then again when they are baking!
The use of heavy cream and butter ensures a lovely flaky rise in the finished product . . .
They puffed up really nicely.
You also don't need to use any cutters to cut them out, just a sharp knife, so there is no waste or re-rolling of scraps which also helps them to rise evenly.
The recipe recommends serving them warm and eating on the day.
In all truth however, they are pretty tasty cold and yes, even the day after baking. (I had one for breakfast this morning.)
Todd enjoyed his split and spread with strawberry jam. I enjoyed mine, just as it was. No embellishments whatsoever. These are fabulously tasty!
*Orange and Currant Scones*
Makes 12
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line a baking tray with nonstick baking parchment. Set aside.
Sift the flour into a bowl along with the sugar and baking powder. Stir in the orange zest. Drop in the butter an rub it in with your fingertips, using a snapping motion or using a pastry blender until you have a mixture resembling coarse bread crumbs. (No piece of butter should be larger than a pea.)
Sift the flour into a bowl along with the sugar and baking powder. Stir in the orange zest. Drop in the butter an rub it in with your fingertips, using a snapping motion or using a pastry blender until you have a mixture resembling coarse bread crumbs. (No piece of butter should be larger than a pea.)
Make a well in the centre and add the cream and
beaten egg. Mix in with your hand until you have a shaggy type of
dough.Tip onto a lightly flour surface and gently mix in the dried
currants, kneading together just to incorporate the fruit.
Pat out to a
rectangle, roughly 3/4 inch thick and 9 by 12 inches in size. Make 3
cups down the length of the dough and 4 cuts crosswise, giving you 12
squares. Place well spaced apart on the baking sheet. Brush the tops
with some of the beaten egg/water mixture and sprinkle each with some
brown sugar.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, turning the baking sheet around halfway through the baking time, to evenly brown and cook. Let stand on the baking sheet for several minutes before moving to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Best if eaten within the first 24 hours.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, turning the baking sheet around halfway through the baking time, to evenly brown and cook. Let stand on the baking sheet for several minutes before moving to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Best if eaten within the first 24 hours.
The recipe does call for dried currants, but you could also use raisins if you wanted to or chopped dried cranberries. I think the cranberries would work really well with the orange zest! It's the weekend, why not bake something tasty today! Bon Appetit!
You are going to want to make these today! That way you will be able to enjoy them at the weekend, but in all truth, these delicious apricots get better tasting with each day that passes and they keep in the refrigerator for a very long time.
I had actually made these the week before Christmas and am only now getting to the point where I have the time to show them to you! They are very simple to make and oh-so-delicious!
A simple syrup is created and infused with green cardamom pods and a vanilla pod. You bruise the cardamom pods first and of course the vanilla needs to be split open.
There is also fresh lemon juice and zest to give even more flavour to the syrup, and I like to add a bit of Limencello liquer, but its completely optional to do that.
Once you have the syrup made you add the dried apricots to it and cook them for just a few minutes, and then leave them for several hours to plump up . . .
Popped into clean and sterile jars, these will keep in the refrigerator for several months.
They make a fabulous light dessert and are also delicious spooned out into fruit nappies and served cold with your breakfast . . . or on top of your morning oats. They are also fabulous served with some unsweetened thick Greek yogurt. Yum yum!!
*Dried Apricots in Cardamom Syrup*
Makes about 2 cups
Place the water, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, cardamom pods, vanilla
and Limoncello (if using) into a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil and
then simmer at a fast simmer for 5 minutes. Add the apricots and then
reduce to the lowest flame and simmer gently for 2 minutes.
Remove from
the heat and set aside for five hours to plump up the apricots.
Transfer to sterile jars and store in the refrigerator. Leave for
several days prior to using if possible. Discard the cardamom pods
before serving or using.
This is a really delicious way to get in one of your five a day! I hope you will give them a go. I do discard the cardamom pods when I serve them so that nobody eats one by mistake. The cardamom and vanilla really infuse the dried fruit with a lovely flavour.
Note - if you cannot find whole cardamom pods, you may use a quantity of ground cardamom. I would not use more than 1/2 tsp.
Bon Appetit!
As I mentioned previously I was sent some pork to try out near the end of December by The Black Farmer, some of his new range of fresh pork raised without anti-biotics. Leading the way in being the first mainstream brand to introduce the
products, The Black Farmer has worked closely with partner farms to
establish farming and production methods in response to the rising
resistance to antibiotics. The selection of fresh British pork cuts from
RSPCA assured pork can be easily identified by the blue Antibiotic Free
swing tag. Up today . . . a delicious Shoulder of Pork.
I have to say at the outset, that Pork Shoulder has never been my favourite cut of Pork, but I was very pleasantly surprised by this roast. It was not as fatty as the pork shoulders I have had in the past and there was none of that "piggie" smell which I generally associate with cheaper cuts of pork. I really don't like that smell and find it very off-putting, but happily there was none of that. Bonus!
It was rolled up, but I unrolled it to cook, and rubbed the flesh all over with a mix of spices and herbs. I scattered sea salt over the crackling to really help crisp it up.
Initially I roasted it at a high temperature, and then I reduced the oven temp and roasted it until it was tender and succulent.
I have never been a person who eats the crackling (for health reasons), but it is well prized amongst many people and this crackling turned out crisp and it looked incredibly tasty.
The meat was tender and delicious. Because I had unrolled it and rubs that spice mix all over, the flavours had permeated the meat beautifully, and I had some nice end bits that ended up being the cook's treat.
Every cook has their treats!
All in all we were very pleased with this beautiful piece of meat!!
(at room temperature) (about 6 pounds)
2 tsp coarse sea salt, divided
60ml apple juice or water (1/4 cup)
Unroll the pork. If the skin has been scored, great, if not, carefully score it with a sharp exacto knife. Pat dry. Mix together 1 tsp of the sea salt, black pepper, coriander, red pepper flakes, oregano, mustard, garlic, lemon zest and olive oil. Flip the meat onto its back and rub this mixture well into the flesh all over. Place into the roasting tin, flesh side down and skin slide up. Sprinkle the remaining salt over the skin. Pour the apple juice or water into the roasting pan around the meat.
Roast in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes until the skin is golden brown and the fat is beginning to render. Reduce the oven temperature to 165*C/300*F/ gas mark 3 and continue to roast for a further 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the meat is very tender and the crackling very crisp.
Let rest for half an hour before removing the crackling cap and slicing the meat to serve. Break up the crackling to serve as well.
The Black Farmer range comprises a Shoulder Joint; Fillet Medallions;
Loin Steaks; Loin Chops; Belly Joint and Belly Slices. Like many, The
Black Farmer loves good roast pork and the meat is not the same without
perfect crackling. His way is to score the fat, massage with oil and a
good rub of coarse sea salt, then 20 minutes at a very high heat in the
oven, before turning it down. Works every time! The Black Farmer Pork Range is available exclusively from the Online Grocery Ocado Shop.
About The Black Farmer
The Black Farmer
is one of the UK’s leading gluten free brands marketing a range of
higher welfare, award winning pork sausages, chicken, burgers,
meatballs, pork cuts, bacon, eggs and cheese. Launched 12 years ago the
brand has gone on to great success with its products available in all
the major UK high street and online retailers. The brand’s founder,
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones is in his own words ‘a poor boy, done good’. He
was born in Frankfield, Clarendon, Jamaica and then, after his parents
came to the UK in the 1950s, was raised in inner city Birmingham. For a
number of years Wilfred worked as a chef before pursuing a career in
television. In 2000 Wilfred fulfilled a lifelong ambition to buy a small
farm in Devon. This inspired him to develop and launch The Black Farmer
– a name coined by his Devon neighbours. His Premium Pork sausages are
one of the country’s leading brands of super premium sausages.
Note - Although I was sent these products free of charge for the purpose of review, I was not required to write a positive review in exchange. Any opinions are quite simply my own.
These are great sandwiches to make and enjoy on nights when you have had a really busy day and just want something quick, hearty and delicious.
Or on those nights when a bunch of you are together and watching the game on the telly, be it hockey, footie or whatever sport floats your boat!
They are quick and easy to make, as easy as layering ingredients into split soft sub buns and baking them in the oven . . .
I like to spread the cut buns with some Parmesan Garlic butter first . . . just for added flavour, and if there is any leftover, you can also spread it on the tops of the buns here and there for added flavour.
After that you simply layer in four cheese blend (Mozzarella, Cheddar, Jack and Edam) with sliced Italian meats . . .
Thinly sliced salami . . . peppery pepperoni . . . rich italian herbed ham . . . or plain if you cannot get the herbed . . .
A hint of spicy sandwich slaw topping or Italian Giardiniera mix . . . and a final sprinkle of cheese and they are ready for the oven . . .
If you are in the UK, this is the pickle I used. Its got a nice heat and crunch without being over the top! You can leave it out altogether, but it really does add a nice touch and extra flavour.
How soft or how crisp you want depends all on you. Baked closer together you get soft sides . . . leaving a bit of space between and you get crisp toasty sides. Its your choice . . .
Ten to Fifteen minutes in the oven and you are rewarded with a delicious sandwich that everyone is going to love! Game day or not!
You can serve them with potato chips, or oven chips, potato salad, whatever you like to serve with hot sandwiches. All go down a real treat!
*Hot Italian Hoagies*
Serves 6
65g butter softened (1/4 cup)
1 tsp garlic Italian seasoning
3 TBS Parmesan Cheese
12 slices Salami
Spicy pickled salad mix like pickled Giardiniera Mix (optional)
(I used Baxter's Spicy Slaw Deli Topper)
Cream
together the butter, seasoning and Parmesan cheese. Spread a portion
of this onto the insides of the sub rolls. Layer 2 TBS of cheese blend,
2 slices salami, 2 slices Pepperoni, 2 slices ham, 2 TBS hot pickle mix
(if using) and 2 TBS of the four cheese blend into each bun. Place
into a large baking dish with the open side facing up.
We really enjoy these (even if my husband does eat his with a knife and fork all proper-like). These are filling, and delicious. I love the touch of heat from the spicy pickle. They are quick and easy to throw together which makes them winners all round! Bon Appetit!
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