I think today has to be one of the worst, most miserable rainy, windy, gloomy wet days we have had thus far this autumn. All the leaves are being shaken from the trees and whipped around the yard. I looked out earlier and saw the baby bath we use to bathe the dog in flying across the garden! Hopefully it won't go much further than that.
Today is one of those days you just want to hunker down indoors with a warm blanket, a good book and something hot to drink . . . and . . . well . . . while you have the kettle and the fire on, you might as well bake something cosy to enjoy along with that hot drink.
I don't think you can get much cosier than Gingerbread. It is filled with lovely flavours that just spell "Home Sweet Home" to me. Scents and flavours that make us think back to our childhoods, and the comfortable warmth of our Grandmother's aproned lap.
This has to be one of the best Ginger breads you could ever want to bake. Its a recipe I adapted from an old book of mine written by the late Marion Cunningham called "Lost Suppers." Every recipe in this book is a winner.
This is cosy, cosy, cosy . . . and filled with lots of warm flavours . . . cinnamon, ginger, cloves . . . and I added some ground cardamom, which worked very well.
Oh, it smelled a little bit like what I suppose Heaven to smell like while it was baking. Oh boy . . . what is it about the smell of the warm baking spices that gets our taste buds tingling?
The cake itself is dense and moist and quite delicious. Gingerbread is a bit like chocolate cake. Its almost impossible to take photos of it that truly showcase the gorgeousness of it.
No matter how much icing sugar you dust it with to off-set the darkness of it . . .
Or how much softly whipped cream you dollop on top . . .
preferably while the cake is still warm . . . so some of it melts and soaks into that gorgeous gingerbread-ness . . . mmmm . . . .
The first fork-full will have you closing your eyes as you tuck in to those delicious flavours . . . warm, and spicy . . . .
You want to savour them forever . . . and in the meantime, your house is smelling gorgeous, of cinnamon, ginger, cloves . . . molasses . . . woodsmoke . . .
The wind can howl around the chimney brest . . . the rain can beat against the window panes . . .
All is truly well with your own little world . . . your home sweet home is in good hands . . . gingerbread scented hands . . . ahhh . . . bliss.
Yield: 8- 9 generously
Blue Ribbon Gingerbread
prep time: 15 minscook time: 55 minstotal time: 70 mins
This deliciously old-fashioned gingerbread is an heirloom recipe. Its dark and spicy. Serve it warm, cut into squares along with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream to grace the top.
ingredients:
310g plain flour (2 1/2 cups)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
120g butter, softened (1/2 cup)
95g sugar (1/2 cup)
240ml dark molasses
1 TBS honey
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
240ml boiling water
2 large free range eggs, beaten
instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8 inch square deep baking tin and line with baking paper. Set aside.
Sift the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and cardamom together in a bowl. Set aside.
together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the
molasses and honey. Dissolve the soda in the boiling water and beat
into the creamed mixture. Beat in the flour mixture until smooth, then
beat in the eggs. The mixture will be runny. Pour into the prepared
pan and bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until well
risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove
from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before tipping out
onto a wire rack. Carefully remove the baking paper. Serve warm with
either whipped cream or ice cream.
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Ice cream also goes very, very well . . . . especially vanilla. I didn't have any. Actually (and don't go telling on me) its awfully nice sliced thin and spread with butter while its still warm. Shhh . . . I'll deny everything. Happy Sunday!
I adore cherries. When we lived down South in the late Spring, early summer, you would often see cherry sellers at the side of the road plying their wares. They would come over from France and set up shop on large trestle tables, selling them in 1 kilo brown paper bags. If you have ever eaten a cherry from a brown paper bag on a warm spring/summer day you have tasted a little bit of heaven.
I would always buy two bags. One to eat in the car on the way home and one for later on. They were soooooo good! None ever got made into pies. We were too busy eating them out of hand!
This recipe I am sharing today makes use of the frozen cherries you can buy in the freezer section of the shops. I usually have a container or two in the freezer. They come in very handy for things like this fabulous tray bake.
It is actually a different version of my Apple Crumble Tray Bake. (Oh so good also.) I decided to try the same recipe using cherries instead of apples, with brilliant results!
If you like apples more than cherries, by all means make the apple version, but if you are as fond of cherries as I am, you are going to fall in love with the cherry version!
You have a buttery, crumbly shortbread type of cake base . . .
Topped with a layer of raspberry jam and a sweet cherry filling . . .
With a buttery crumble topping . . . what's not to love about this!
These are fabulous. You can either drizzle with a lemon drizzle icing, or opt to dust lightly with icing sugar as I have done. Either way you are sure to enjoy!
Yield: Makes one 8-inch square pan
Cherry Crumble Tray Bake
prep time: 10 minscook time: 40 minstotal time: 50 mins
Delicious cherry bars with a shortbread type base, a layer of raspberry jam, a sweet cherry filling and a moreishly butter topping. Glaze or not as desired.
ingredients:
For the base:
187g of plain flour (1 1/3 cups)
2 TBS granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature (1/2 cup)
For the filling:
225g frozen cherries (1 cup)
5 TBS granulated sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash each of ground cardamom and freshly grated nutmeg
2 tsp corn flour (corn starch)
2 TBS lemon juice
2 heaped dessertspoons of raspberry jam (about 1/4 cup)
For the topping:
70g plain flour
3 TBS granulated sugar
4 TBS unsalted butter, softened
pinch each salt, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg
instructions:
Preheat
the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8 inch square baking
pan. Line with baking paper, leaving an overhang. Butter the paper.
Set aside.
the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8 inch square baking
pan. Line with baking paper, leaving an overhang. Butter the paper.
Set aside.
Sift the flour for the base into a
bowl. Whisk in the sugar and salt. Drop in the butter and rub it in
with your finger tips until you have a mixture resembling bread crumbs.
bowl. Whisk in the sugar and salt. Drop in the butter and rub it in
with your finger tips until you have a mixture resembling bread crumbs.
Press this evenly into the prepared pan, pressing down firmly. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, until lightly brown around the edges.
To
make the filling, put the cherries into a skillet along with the sugar
and spices. Cover over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the
cherries are tender, but still holding their shape. Whisk together the
corn flour and lemon juice. Stir this into the cherry mixture. Cook
and stir until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and set aside
to cool.
make the filling, put the cherries into a skillet along with the sugar
and spices. Cover over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the
cherries are tender, but still holding their shape. Whisk together the
corn flour and lemon juice. Stir this into the cherry mixture. Cook
and stir until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and set aside
to cool.
Make the crumble topping by whisking
the flour, sugar and spices together in a small bowl. Rub the butter in
with your fingers until you get a clumpy mixture.
the flour, sugar and spices together in a small bowl. Rub the butter in
with your fingers until you get a clumpy mixture.
After
the initial baking of the crust, remove it from the oven. Loosen the
jam with a fork and then spread it evenly over the hot base. Top with
the cherry filling. (I use my hands to spread it out evenly) Top with
the crumble topping, scattering it evenly over top. Bake for 25 to 30
minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool completely in the pan before
lifting out and cutting into squares to serve.
the initial baking of the crust, remove it from the oven. Loosen the
jam with a fork and then spread it evenly over the hot base. Top with
the cherry filling. (I use my hands to spread it out evenly) Top with
the crumble topping, scattering it evenly over top. Bake for 25 to 30
minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool completely in the pan before
lifting out and cutting into squares to serve.
An
optional glaze can be made by whisking together 65g (1/2 cup) of icing
sugar and enough lemon juice to give you a smooth and drizzable mixture.
Drizzle this decoratively over top of the cherry bake and allow to set
prior to cutting.
optional glaze can be made by whisking together 65g (1/2 cup) of icing
sugar and enough lemon juice to give you a smooth and drizzable mixture.
Drizzle this decoratively over top of the cherry bake and allow to set
prior to cutting.
Note - Alternately you can just give them a light dusting of icing sugar.
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Did you tune into the latest Royal Wedding yesterday? I did and thought Eugenie was a beautiful bride. She and her husband make a lovely couple and are very clearly in love with each other. I love it when that happens. I wish them many, many years of happiness together! Bon Appetit and Bon Weekend!
Tuna wasn't something we ever had when I was growing up. My first experience with it was when I was about 14 years old. I was in Band at school and we had our practises during the lunch hour. I remember sitting in the band room and my friend had a tuna sandwich for her lunch that her mother had made. She wasn't too impressed with it and asked if I would like to exchange sandwiches with her. I said why not!
I couldn't begin to tell you what kind of sandwich I had in my own lunch but I have never forgotten how delicious her tuna sandwich was. To this day it lives on in my memory as one of my favourite tastes of all time!
I think I may have talked my mother into buying tuna after that, I'm not sure. I do know that tinned tuna fish was a staple in my store cupboard when I was raising my own family, and it still is.
I was buying tuna in the grocery store one day, many moons ago and an old Italian woman told me only to always buy albacore tuna. All the rest was garbage she said. Who was I to argue with Italian wisdom. I reckon they know their tuna fish. She also told me that blunt ended carrots were sweeter.
In any case, ever since then, I have only ever bought albacore tuna fish and blunt ended carrots, and I have to say she was correct. Albacore tuna is the best and blunt ended carrots are sweeter!
The tuna in this tuna melt is flavoured with a mixture of mayonnaise and basil pesto. If you have fresh homemade pesto, so much the better.
There is also some garlic, and seasoning in the tuna mixture, along with grated Parmesan cheese. Do be judicious with the salt as Parmesan cheese on its own is rather salty, but I always like to add a hefty bit of black pepper as I really like black pepper.
I like knife and fork, open faced sandwiches. These can also be done as a closed sandwich very easily by using two slices of buttered bread. I like them open faced and I add a couple slices of ripe tomato to the tops as well. You can also put slices of tomato in a closed sandwich if you want, or you can leave the tomato out altogether. I sometimes add chopped olives to my tuna. Its all good.
A slice of melty mozzarella goes on top of the bottom buttered slice of bread, then the tuna, then the tomatoes and then another slice of mozzarella. I like the melting properties of Mozzarella, but Gouda also works really well as does Swiss. Just make sure it is a smooth melting kind of cheese.
Toast the bread bottoms in a warm frying pan. Don't be too much in a rush to do this. I find medium low heat best, and you get a nice crispness to the bread. After that's done, pop the whole bit under a grill to really melt that cheese and gild the lily. YUMMY!!!
Yield: 2
Parmesan Pesto Tuna Melts
prep time: 5 minscook time: 5 minstotal time: 10 mins
A quick, easy and delicious open faced tuna melt sandwich that everyone is sure to enjoy. You can easily double the recipe ingredients to serve four people.
ingredients:
1 (145g) tin of albacore tuna, drained and flaked (1 5-oz tin)
2 TBS good quality mayonnaise
2 TBS prepared basil pesto
45g grated Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup)
1 small clove garlic, peeled and minced
salt and black pepper to taste
2 thick slices of a sturdy type of bread
softened butter to spread
ripe tomato slices
4 slices mozzarella cheese
instructions:
Flake the tuna into a bowl. Stir in the mayonnaise,
pesto, parmesan cheese and garlic. Season to taste with salt and black
pepper. Set aside.
pesto, parmesan cheese and garlic. Season to taste with salt and black
pepper. Set aside.
Heat the oven grill to high.
Butter
one side of each slice of bread. Put the bread slices, butter side
down, into a large skillet, which you have warmed. Place a slice of
cheese on each. Divide the Tuna mixture between both slices of cheese
covered bread, evenly. Top each with several slices of tomato and then
another slice of mozzarella cheese. Cook until the bottom of the slices
of bread have turned golden brown. Flash the pan under the heated oven
grill for a couple of minutes, long enough to melt the cheese, and gild
it in a few places. Remove from the grill and serve immediately.
one side of each slice of bread. Put the bread slices, butter side
down, into a large skillet, which you have warmed. Place a slice of
cheese on each. Divide the Tuna mixture between both slices of cheese
covered bread, evenly. Top each with several slices of tomato and then
another slice of mozzarella cheese. Cook until the bottom of the slices
of bread have turned golden brown. Flash the pan under the heated oven
grill for a couple of minutes, long enough to melt the cheese, and gild
it in a few places. Remove from the grill and serve immediately.
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Boy I am really missing my Instagram. Not so much the facebook. I wasn't really that active on facebook anyways, except for my recipe page, but I love my Instagram and my friends on there. Only 6 days left to go. In the meantime, I am catching up on a few other things. I hope you will make the sandwich and enjoy! Bon Appetit!
We don't eat red meat very often in our home. It is a rare treat for us, so when we do, I want to make sure that I prepare it in as best a way as I can.
We were having company for lunch the other day and I decided to cook some pork chops that I had bought at Costco.
They were lovely, thick bone-in loin chops. I had not seen chops that thick in a long time.
I think they were about 1 1/2 inches thick. I was a bit concerned as to how I was going to cook them adequately without drying them out.
I decided that I would try brining them.
Brining is simply a food process where meats and poultry are soaked in a salt/sugar brine for a time prior to cooking them, which not only lightly seasons them but helps to tenderise and enhance the flavour of the meat.
People have been brining chickens and turkeys for years.
I created a simple brine of water, apple juice, salt and herbs.
I soaked the pork chops in this mixture, covered in the refrigerator overnight, for about 18 hours actually by the time I went to cook them. 12 hours minimum is desirable.
At the end of that time, I took them out of the brine, rinsed them off and patted them dry, discarding the brine.
I always slash the fatty edge of my chops prior to cooking them, right through the fat to the meat.
This helps to prevent them from curling up as they are cooking, and makes for a much more attractive presentation.
I seasoned them all over with some garlic powder (NOT salt), a tiny bit of salt, some freshly ground black pepper, and dried sage.
Sage and pork go very well together.
I lined a baking tray (with sides) with some heavy foil and then popped the chops onto the tray.
I sprinkled each chop with some fine dry bread crumbs and dotted them with butter, then popped them into a hot oven.
I cooked them for about 15 minutes, then took them out of the oven and poured a bit of fruit juice around them in the pan.
I used apple juice because that is what I had, but any fruit juice would work. I have used cranberry in the past, as well as orange and pineapple. All work very well.
Back into the oven they went for a further half an hour. I checked them periodically to make sure the fruit juice wasn't cooking dry.
The juice helps to keep them moist as well as adding additional flavour and helps to increase their tenderness even more.
This is a trick I learnt from one of my mother's old meat cookery books that she bought back in the 1950's when she first got married. It works, and is delicious.
The end result was perfectly cooked chops, that were indeed very tender, moist and delicious! They went down a real treat!
I had actually cooked 6 at the time, and what you are seeing here is the two leftover ones gently reheated the day after. Still succulent, tender and delicious.
Yield: 4
Brined & Breaded Baked Pork Chops
prep time: 12 hourcook time: 45 minstotal time: 12 hours and 45 mins
I recently bought some really thick chops at Costco and wanted to cook them in such a way as I did not dry them out. I decided to brine them first. It worked like a charm. We had delicious tender and flavourful chops! Plan ahead as the chops need to brine overnight.
ingredients:
For the Brine:
3 TBS non-iodised salt
2 cups water
2 cups apple juice
1 TBS mixed herbs
For the chops:
4 bone in thick pork chops
salt, pepper, dried sage and garlic powder
2 TBS fine dry bread crumbs per chop
butter to dot
apple juice (other fruit juices also work well, like pineapple, cranberry or orange)instructions:
Heat the water and salt until the salt dissolves.
Stir in the apple juice and mixed herbs. (I used a mix of sage, parsley,
and summer savoury) Once the mixture is room temperature, put it into a
plastic container large enough to hold the chops in a single layer,
with a lid. Put in the chops, cover and refrigerate overnight or for at
least 12 hours.
Stir in the apple juice and mixed herbs. (I used a mix of sage, parsley,
and summer savoury) Once the mixture is room temperature, put it into a
plastic container large enough to hold the chops in a single layer,
with a lid. Put in the chops, cover and refrigerate overnight or for at
least 12 hours.
When you are ready to
cook the chops take them out of the brine, rinse them off and pat dry.
Slash the fatty edge at 1/2 inch intervals. This helps to keep them
from curling up when they are cooking. Season each all over with salt,
pepper, dried sage and garlic powder.
cook the chops take them out of the brine, rinse them off and pat dry.
Slash the fatty edge at 1/2 inch intervals. This helps to keep them
from curling up when they are cooking. Season each all over with salt,
pepper, dried sage and garlic powder.
Preheat
the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with sides with
heavy duty aluminium foil. (Do NOT skip this. It saves on cleanup after.)
Place the seasoned chops on the baking sheet in a single layer. Top
each with 2 TBS fine dry bread crumbs. Dot with butter. Bake for about
15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Pour a quantity of fruit juice around
the chops and return to the oven. (about 1/4 inch in depth) Bake for a
further 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and the juices run clear.
Check periodically to see that the apple juice doesn't run dry, topping
it up as needed. Serve hot with your favourite side dishes and
vegetables.
the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with sides with
heavy duty aluminium foil. (Do NOT skip this. It saves on cleanup after.)
Place the seasoned chops on the baking sheet in a single layer. Top
each with 2 TBS fine dry bread crumbs. Dot with butter. Bake for about
15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Pour a quantity of fruit juice around
the chops and return to the oven. (about 1/4 inch in depth) Bake for a
further 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and the juices run clear.
Check periodically to see that the apple juice doesn't run dry, topping
it up as needed. Serve hot with your favourite side dishes and
vegetables.
Note - Cook time depends on the thickness of your chops. Mine were about 1 1/2 inch thick. A thinner chop would not need as much time to cook, so judge according. Bone in chops work best.
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Pork Chops and applesauce are a marriage made in heaven! Bon Appetit!
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