 
I haven't seen my dad for probably 8 or 9 years now. I haven't been back home now for quite a while. He was away the last time I was home, which was about 5 years ago now. I miss him. Not a lot I can do about it either as finances are kind of tight, but he knows I love him, and that if I could be there I would be there. He would absolutely love these brownies though! He has always been one of my biggest fans, and loves my cooking. Dad, these are for you!
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I have to say that one of my absolute favourite things is Lemon Curd. I could sit down and eat it with a spoon.
I have always made my own. Its not all that hard to do and tastes unbelievably better than the store bought stuff. Seriously.
I found myself with some lemons and limes that needed using up today and I had in mind to do a Lemon & Lime curd, but was a bit unsure as to what proportions of each I should use.
After doing a search I found what looked like a great recipe on the Waitrose site. I decided to charge things up a bit however and add some fresh ginger root to the mix, as I also had a knob of that which needed using up.
The people at English Provender had once sent me some Lemon and Ginger Curd and it was very moreish, so I thought why not!
The end result was something so fabulous that I think you are really going to love it!
Its tart and sweet and has just a bit of gingery heat to it, but not obnoxiously so.
This would make a fabulous filling for a cake I think . . . maybe even a banana cake . . . hmmm . . . the wheels are turning.
I also make a lovely lemon drizzle loaf which uses lemon curd, so I think I am going to try using some of it in that. (You will find that recipe in the same place as my regular lemon curd recipe. See link above.)
See how lovely and thick it is? And tis photo was taken while it was still a bit warm.
I couldn't wait to show you. It thickens up beautifully in the refrigerator.
Mmmm . . . so tasty. I had a huge Bon Maman jam jar from some jam I had gotten a while back at Costco and that is what I have used to store it in.
I think we will make pretty short work of this.
I couldn't resist trying some on top of a soda cracker just to taste it . . . you know how it goes. Oh boy. This is one gorgeous curd!!
I hope you will give it a go. Making curd is not that easy if you follow the directions perfectly. And even if your eggs do end up curdling a bit, its not the end of the world, just strain out the curdles.
It will still be perfectly edible, but in all truth if you are careful and temper your eggs first, then that just won't happen!
*Lemon, Lime & Ginger Curd*
Makes 600ml (2 1/2 cups)
Creamy,
tart and tangy. This gorgeous spread is very simple to make and tastes
fabulous spread onto warm scones or toast, between cake layers etc.
the finely grated zest and juice of 2 limes
the finely grated zest and juice of 3 lemons
1 inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated
250g caster sugar (1 1/3 cup)
125g butter, cut into small bits (1/2 cup)
4 large free range eggs, beaten
Place the grated ginger root, lemon and lime zests and juices into a
heatproof bowl, large enough to fit over a pan of gently simmering
water. Stir in the sugar and add the butter. Place over the simmering
water and cook, stirring occasionally until the butter and sugar both
melt.
Whisk a bit of this hotter mixture into the beaten eggs to temper it,
then slowly whisk the eggs back into the bowl of juices, etc. Make sure
you don't forget to temper the eggs as you will end up with scrambled
egg.
Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens
enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. This will take 20 to 25
minutes over water at a low simmer. Stirring is not optional, you must
stir it continuously or the mixture will not thicken evenly.
Remove the bowl from the pan and strain the curd into clean and
sterilised jars. (This is not totally necessary, but I like to strain
any solids out so that the mixture is completely smooth.)
Cover and allow
to cool completely before storing in the refrigerator. This will keep
for about a week. So I would give a jar away. I am sure nobody will
refuse it.
I adapted this recipe from one I found on the Waitrose site for Tangy Lemon and Lime Curd. I thought that fresh ginger would be a fabulous addition to the flavours and I was right! I love it when that happens!
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I took the opportunity the other day to make another recipe using some of that delicious Jack Daniel's BBQ sauce I was sent last week. I had in mind to make my Cheeseburger Skillet Dinner for supper one night and decided to add some of the sauce to it with most delicious results!
I have been making Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta for years and years. It has always been a favourite of the missionaries when they come over for supper.
JACK DANIELS BBQ SAUCE RANGE
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Each Jack Daniel’s Sauce is virtually fat-free with around 40 calories per typical 25g serving. Each of the sauces is suitable for vegetarians. Jack Daniel’s Barbecue Sauces are available nationwide from Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda and Waitrose, RRP £2.00. Jack Daniel’s® Tennessee Honey™ Barbecue Glaze is available in Waitrose and Tesco stores nationwide RRP £1.99
This skillet meal is such a family friendly favourite of ours mine. True, my husband would like it better if it was made with potatoes, but somehow I don't think potatoes would give you quite the same delicious results. And I love potatoes!
I think this only really works with pasta or some sort, and today it was elbow macaroni.
Its a texture thing really. I really think the only way to go with this is using macaroni. Oddly enough when I was a child I hated any kind of pasta with minced beef in it. The differences in the texture used to make gag.
I think I was an expert at getting minced beef out of any hole that would hold it. At the end of a meal, the macaroni would be all gone, but there would be a tidy pile of hamburger bits sitting on the edge of my plate.
Now that I am an adult I find that if I leave the meat in larger lumps and brown it really well, I can tolerate it very nicely.
I have actually come to enjoy it, but then I do use extra extra lean ground steak.
Like I said, this is very family friendly and something children really enjoy, and normally men as well. It contains nothing too out of the ordinary.
This time I substituted some of the Jack Danielle's smooth original sauce for the Worcestershire sauce in my regular recipe and I have to say it worked, really, REALLY well!
Just gave that sauce a little bit of extra tangy zip. I left out the herbs as well because I thought they might jar with the sauce.
We didn't miss them. Not one iota.
I like to use a strong cheddar because it has a lot of flavour and you don't really need a lot of it to get the same flavour impact that you might get using a larger quantity of a milder one.
So less calories and fat that way.
I do use tinned tomato soup in this. I like Heinz. Its always been my favourite when it comes to tinned tomato soup.
That's just a personal preference. You can use whichever one you like most.
There is bacon in this, yes . . . try to use the leanest streaky bacon you can find. Drain it well and pat it dry with paper towels, you can cut back on the fat and calories also.
I also like to use a good dry cure bacon.
Having said all that however, this is never ever going to be on any list of healthy options when it comes to eating, but it does make a wonderful, economical and delicious once in a blue moon treat!
BBQ Bacon, Cheeseburger Skillet Dinner*
Serves 4
Serves 4
This is one of those great family style dishes that not only tastes delicious, but is also quick, easy. It also freezes very well.
235g uncooked elbow macaroni (2 cups)
500g extra lean minced beef (1 generous pound)
225g streaky bacon (1/2 pound)
1 small onion, peeled and minced
2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 tin of tomato soup
120ml hot water (1/2 cup)
65g Jack Daniels BBQ Sauce (1/4 cup) salt to taste
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
180g extra strong cheddar cheese, grated (1 1/2 cups)
Cook the pasta in lightly salted water according to the package directions until tender. Once tender, drain well and then stir into the beef mixture. Add 3/4 of the cheddar cheese and stir it in to melt, then sprinkle the remainder of the cheese on top and allow to melt. Serve right from the pan with lots of crusty bread and a tasty salad on the side.
If you are looking for a meal that is quick and easy, delicious and economical, and one that your family will love, look no further. This fits the bill on all fronts.
I like to serve it with a salad on the side. Do note that it also freezes very well and you can freeze it in single serving sized portions to pop out from the freezer for when someone is going to be on their own, or home late or even to take for lunch at work were they can just pop it into a microwave!
If you would like to see the original recipe you can find that here. That was actually the last time I made this, so five whole years ago. That really is once in a blue moon!
Also with there only being two of us, and no missionaries to feed, this time I cut the recipe in half so that it only made 4 servings instead of 8. I sent the leftovers next door, and there were NO complaints!
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 Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
A compendium of many delicious looking brownies, each one looking a tad more decadent than the other. You will want to bake them all.
There is also some strong coffee in the brownie batter. Not a lot, just a hint. Coffee really helps to enhance chocolate flavours.
They have a perfect chemistry and affinity for each other . . . maybe that is because they are both beans . . . coffee and cacao. You don't really need a lot of it to do it's job.
*Mochachino Brownies with White Mocha Sauce*
Serves 8 - 9
For the Mochachino lover in your life. You can leave out the nuts if you wish.
For the brownies:
120g unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the pan (1/2 cup)
115g plain chocolate (4 ounces)
2 TBS extra strong black coffee
250g golden caster sugar (1 1/3 cups)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 large free range eggs, beaten
85g plain flour (1/2 cup + 2 TBS)
55g milk chocolate chips (1/4 cup)
55g toasted walnuts or pecans (1/2 cup) (optional)
Plus more to decorate
For the sauce:
100ml double cream (3 1/2 fluid ounces)
85g white chocolate (3 ounces)
1 TBS strong black coffee
Preheat
the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter and line a 9 inch square
baking tin. (I like to leave an overhang to lift the brownies out with
once they have cooled. Makes it easier to cut them.)
Melt
the chocolate, coffee and butter together in a saucepan over low heat,
stirring, just until the mixture has all melted and is smooth. Cool
slightly.
Whisk in the sugar, cinnamon and
eggs, one at a time. Beat in the flour, chocolate chips and
walnuts/pecans if using. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake
in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, just until firm, but still
moist. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Lift out and cut into
squares for serving.
To make the sauce, put all ingredients in a small saucepan, and place over low heat. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth.
Place
the brownies onto individual serving plates and spoon the warm sauce
over top. Sprinkle with additional toasted nuts, if using, and serve
immediately.
I wasn't going to put any cream on top, but then I just had to see how it looked (and tasted) and so I did. WOWSA! Incredible! Happy Father's Day and 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 at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
Angel Cake is a completely different cake over here in the UK as compared to what I thought of as an Angel Cake when I was growing up. (Angel Food Cake) North American Angel Food Cake is very light and airy, made with only egg whites, sugar, flour and no fat, and baked in a straight sided tube tin!
Angel Cake here is a sponge cake about the size of a loaf, with three distinct and separate coloured layers. White, pink and yellow.
Sandwiched together with vanilla butter cream. Its quite nice, and something we quite like in our home from time to time.
Its really not that difficult to make, but you will need either 3 loaf tins the same size, or a larger cake tin that you can divide into three.
Children love this cake because of the colours. Basically it is the same cake batter for each, just tinted separately for each layer.
The power of suggestion makes it taste better than a normal cake. What is it they say? We really do eat first with our eyes!
I love British Cakes. They are quite substantial in comparison to North American Cakes, and I really like that about them.
Mind you most homemade cakes are a bit more substantial than a cake mix cake.They have that extra added ingredient called love.
Its the same with bread . . . homemade bread always has more substance than store bought . . . and a lot less additives! My sister and I used to play a game with the white bread from the store when we were children.
We could mash and roll a whole slice of it down into a ball about the size of a pea. Try doing that with homemade.
Anyways, back to the cake. This makes a lovely tea time cake. It is very similar in texture to a pound or Madeira cake.
I tend to cut it into two thick lengthwise slices at first . . .
And then I cut each longer piece into 4 shorter pieces, crosswise. Or you can just cut it crosswise into 8 slices.
No matter how you cut it, you are sure to fall in love with it.
This is a cake that first made its appearance, becoming popular on British tables back in the late 19th century. It actually won the "English Cake of the Year" award in 1986.
So, as you can see, its a very popular cake.
It goes beautifully served with hot cups of tea or cold glasses of milk.
It is fabulous served after supper, cut into thin slices and served with small bowls of tinned fruit and cream.
During the war years that would have been tinned evaporated milk instead of cream. Thank goodness, those days are long since passed.
In any case, this cake is bound to be enjoyed no matter what!
Don't pay any attention to my skills for cutting things in straight lines. DUH. I cannot cut or draw a straight line for love or money. I have always cut things wonkily. (Is that a word?)
I always mess it up. Never mind . . . tis just as delicious no matter the size or shape!
*Angel Cake*
cuts into 8 slices
Angel
cake here in the UK is not the same as a North American Angel Cake.
Ours is typically a three layer sponge cake, with white, pink and yellow
layers of a sponge cake sandwiched together with a bit of vanilla
butter cream. You will need 3 (8 by 4 inch) loaf tins, or you can
carefully divide a 9 by 13 inch cake tin into three equal sized
rectangles using aluminium foil.
For the cake:
200g butter, at room temperature ( 1 cup minus 3 1/2 TBS)
270g caster sugar (1 cup +2 1/2 TBS)
3 large free range eggs, beaten
270g plain flour (2 cups minus 1 1/4 TBS)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
225g sour cream (1 cup)
red and yellow food colouring
For the icing:
140g icing sugar sifted (1 cup + 1 1/2 TBS)
60g unsalted butter, softened (1/4 cup)
1 TBS milk
few drops vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter
and line 3 (8 by 4) inch loaf tins with baking paper. Alternately,
butter and line a (9 by 13) inch cake tin, carefully creating 3 separate
sections.
Sift the flour and baking powder
together in a bowl. Set aside. Cream together the butter and sugar
until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs a little bit at a time. If the
mixture starts to curdle, beat in a TBS of the flour mixture. Once all
of the eggs have been incorporated stir in the flour mixture,
alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with flour.
Divide the batter into three equal portions, placing 1/3 of the cake
directly into the prepared cake tins. Tint one third of the remaining
batter with red food colouring to give you a pink batter and the
remaining third with yellow to give you a yellow batter. Place each of
these into the remaining tins. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40
minutes until the tops spring back when lightly touched.
PS - I have had an e-mail from someone accusing me of using their recipe for this. I wrote them back to tell them that I had not done so, and that any similarities were an unhappy co-incidence. The original recipe comes from my old friend Doreen that she shared with me back in 2003 not too long after I moved over here.
I had eaten it at her house and she was happy to copy it out for me. I slipped it into a little green notebook I have that is filled with recipes from friends. Usually when I use a friends recipe I am quick to point it out. Today I didn't. I also make it a habit if I have used a recipe from a recipe book or another blog to link back to it, as you all have probably noticed.
Here is my notebook and the handwritten recipe. I am sorry that someone would think that I would use their recipe without sourcing them or linking back to them. I do have to say though, that baking is an exact science and measurements are likely to be similar in most instances.
I have had several looks at her recipe and yes, the ingredients are pretty much the same, except I used three separate colours instead of two. She used a special cake tin for hers, I used three loaf tins. Other than that I don't know what to say. I hate it when things like this happen, which is why I am always very careful to note my sources for everything. Just saying . . .
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 Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
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