I am a real lover of the flavour of lemon and this is the time of year we have them in abundance in our shops, being imported from Spain, which is a country that grows lots of lovely citrus fruits.
Oh I do so love to see them. I like to keep my lemons in a bowl on the counter top. I smile every time I walk past.
Double Lemon Drizzle Loaf. I wanted to share a fabulously tasty recipe with you today for a Lemon Drizzle Cake that is quite different to all of the rest that I have seen out there. I do so love lemon anything, don't you?
One of the favorite things my mother would make for us when I was growing up was Lemon Meringue Pie. She always used a mix, but we loved it.
That cold jelly like lemon filling with the soft billows of meringue on top. She always made a separate bit for my brother outside of the pastry because she thought pastry was not good for young children.
I wonder if he remembers that? Mom wasn't much for baking us sweets and things outside of special occasions. She didn't want us to over indulge on sugary and fat filled treats.
On the other side of the coin however, she would give us jello/jelly for dessert, sprinkled with sugar and topped with milk. I still have a fondness for jelly with sugar and milk on it. The milk would be dyed whatever color of jelly we were eating.
I have vague memories of our mother having ladies over for tea on occasion. She would make lots of tiny sandwiches and give us the crusts to munch on.
They tasted so good with their little scrapings of filling on them. She would also bake tea loaves or breads, much like this lemon loaf I am sharing today.
I have shared several different recipes for lemon loaves/breads/drizzle cakes on here through the years. Can there ever be room enough for one more???
I think so! I am always keen to try a new recipe for lemon anything! Especially when you are talking about a cake like this, a drizzle cake with a lush pound cake texture.
I saw this recipe for a Double Lemon Drizzle Cake on the Sainsbury's recipe site the other day and instantly wanted to try it.
What really compelled me to want to try it was the fact that a whole lemon, cooked until soft, is used in the batter. Say what??? Has to be good!!!
It was very easy to cook the lemon in the microwave and then puree it in my blender. The rest of the cake was a real doddle to throw together. Easy peasy.
When I took it out of the oven it looked fantastic, but then I noticed when I started to poke the toothpick into it for the lemon and sugar drizzle it was sinking in the middle a bit.
Uh oh . . . I thought. It can't have been cooked in the middle. The skewer was coming out clean, but . . . you never know.
So I popped it back in for a further 5 minutes or so.
The end result was that that lemon syrup kind of candied on the loaf, which was a delicious surprise, and not at all a bad thing.
It was a happy mistake, as it were, turning lemons into lemonade!
In looking at the photo on the Sainsbury's site, they have covered the center completely with candied lemon slices. I am thinking that perhaps this is a cake that sinks a bit in the center.
I quite like how it looks actually. Dip in the center and all.
And as you can see, it cuts beautifully once cold. I added a lemon and icing sugar drizzle, which I thought looked really pretty.
Its a lovely moist loaf, filled with LOTS of lovely lemon flavors.
Flavors from the pureed cooked lemon in the loaf, to that candied lemon syrup sinking into the cake and lightly coating the surface. Not to mention that lovely lemon icing drizzle.
I could quite as easily have just seen this as a failure and thrown it away, but I didn't.
I think my mother would have approved of this . . . making lemons into lemonade.
Every pun intended.
Mmmm . . . this went down really well with a nice hot drink. I like herbal teas but I am sure it would taste just as nice with a regular hot cuppa.
Yield: Serves 10 - 12
Double Lemon Drizzle Loaf
prep time: 15 minscook time: 50 minstotal time: 65 mins
A happy and most delicious accident.
ingredients:
For the loaf:
- 1 small thin skinned lemon (pick one that is heavy for its size)
- 200g butter softened (7 ounces) (7/8 cup)
- 200g caster sugar (1 cup + 1 TBS)
- 4 medium eggs, lightly beaten
- 250g self raising flour (1 3/4 cup)
For the drizzle:
- the juice of 2 lemons
- 75g caster sugar (6 1/2 TBS)
For the glaze:
- 130g icing sugar (1 cup)
- the juice of 1/2 lemon
- finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon (optional)
instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/ 350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter and line a medium loaf tin with baking paper. Set aside. (8 inches by 4 inches)
- Prick the lemon all over with a fork. Place into a small bowl, cover with plastic cling film and then cook in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes until tender. Cut into quarters. Remove and discard any pips/seeds. Place into a blender along with any juices and puree until fairly smooth.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in the eggs. Stir in the flour and the lemon puree. Spoon into the prepared loaf tin, smoothing the top and then bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
- While the loaf is baking whisk together the sugar and lemon juice for the drizzle until smooth and the sugar is dissolved.
- Take the loaf from the oven and prick it all over with a toothpick. Spoon the drizzle over top, letting it soak in. Return to the oven and cook for a further 5 minutes, until glazed.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin completely. Once cold, tip out onto a wire rack and turn right side up.
- Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze until smooth. Drizzle decoratively over the cake. Sprinkle with the lemon zest if using. Allow to set before cutting into slices to serve.
Created using The Recipes Generator
I love it when what are seen as accidents or failures actually turn into happy things and successes, don't you? 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!
Blueberry Cake for two. This is a cake that I made for us last week. With there only being two of us in the household and no company expected I wanted to bake us a dessert, perfectly sized for the smaller family.
This blueberry cake recipe was perfect for us. I am trying to job my memory as to where I got it from.
I am pretty sure it was Bunny's Oven. (which is an excellent food blog by to follow by the way and she's a really nice person!)
The fact that it was built just for two people is what really appealed to me . . . that and the fact that it was Blueberry.
I adore blueberries!
You can use fresh or frozen berries for it. I always happen to have fresh in the refrigerator so that is what I used.
I often have frozen berries as well. Blueberries are a storecupboard staple for me.
When I first moved over here to the UK, blueberries were not something that was readily available. If you could find them, they were really expensive.
Its interesting the things you miss when you cant get them anymore. or are difficult to find.
Blueberries were something that grew wild in our back yard in Nictaux, NS, and I remember my parents having a favourite blueberry patch that we would go to pick them when I was a child.
It was on a dirt road off the main just past a small village called Paradise. Blueberries grew in abundance there.
Long about the middle of August, they would pack us up into the car and off we would go to pick berries. Ice cream buckets full, which my mom would freeze to make blueberry pies with in the Winter.
It was back breaking work as wild blueberries grow close to the ground and you need to crouch to pick them.
Bears also love blueberries, and I can remember being quite nervous while we were picking . . . . always a tiny bit afraid that a bear would come out and eat us along with our berries!
My father delighted in hiding behind bushes and pretending he was a bear to frighten us. We laugh about it now.
There is something really special about the flavour of a wild blueberry . . . all of that natural sweetness has been concentrated into a smaller fruit, and packs a real wow factor.
Cultivated berries never quite come up to the flavour of a wild berry but alas . . .
Beggars can't be choosers and I am just happy that they are more readily available now. Most coming from Poland in the warmer months, and incredibly from Peru in the winter months.
You can also buy them frozen.
We have our own blueberry bushes here as well, right in our back garden. Each year they produce a little bit more.
One year I might even have enough to make a pie! And I won't have to fight the bears for them!
In any case these are very delicious little cakes. Quick and easy to put together, using fresh or frozen berries. We enjoyed them warm with a little quenelle of clotted cream on top.
Yield: 2
Blueberry Cake For Two
prep time: 10 minscook time: 30 minstotal time: 40 mins
This delicious, simple blueberry cake is packed with blueberries and perfectly sized just for two people. You can easily double and triple the recipe if desired.
ingredients:
- 35g plain flour (1/4 cup all purpose)
- 45g castor sugar (1/4 cup fine granulated sugar)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 60ml milk (1/4 cup)
- 1 TBS butter, melted
- 150g of fresh blueberries (1 cup)
- 1/4 tsp lemon extract
- 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
- a sprinkle of demerara sugar for the top (turbinado)
- clotted cream or ice cream to serve (optional)
instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Butter two 285g (10 ounce) ramekins and set on a small oven tray.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, milk , melted butter, lemon extract and ground cardamom. Put 1/4 of the blueberries in the bottom of each ramekin. Divide the batter between them and then top with the remaining berries, dividing them equally. Sprinkle with a bit of demerara sugar.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until risen and golden brown. Serve warm with or without some clotted cream or ice cream. (I like to dust mine with some icing sugar for appearances, but it is not necessary.)
Created using The Recipes Generator
I am thinking it is a good thing that there was only two of these as I would have been hard pressed to stop at one serving, they were that tasty! Now in my favourite recipe rotation for sure! If you like berries and you like cake, you are sure to love these! I am thinking other berries, like raspberries or blackberries would also work well! Bon Appetit and Happy Ground Hog Day! (Will he see his shadow do you think???)
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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We have certainly had a cold week here in the UK. Nothing like the Arctic Vortex which has been gripping the North American continent, but cold nonetheless.
Our homes here are not really equipped to deal with real cold, so when we get hit by an arctic blast, we really feel it!
These are the days we huddle in our homes by the fire, not venturing out very far from it's warmth. The roads are icy, the ground frosted. This be soup and stew . . . dishes to warm your bones weather!
This is one of my favourite soups to make in the winter time. Not only does it use simple ingredients, but it is very easy to put together and quick to cook and get on the table.
It uses simple ingredients that most of us have in our homes . . . carrots, potatoes, onions . . .
Celery and green bell peppers . . .
These will be cooked in some chicken stock until tender . . .
Once tender, you whisk in a mix of flour and water to thicken it . . . then milk . . .
It is creamy and has a luxurious feel to it . . . but it is actually incredibly low in fat . . . with the exception of the fat in the milk, there is none.
It is also a recipe which doubles well, and freezes well. I like to freeze it in single serving containers, ready to pop out and heat up as and when.
I am sure that some grated cheese scattered on top would be quite nice, but it really isn't necessary.
This is really a lovely soup which I hope you will enjoy as much as we do! I believe I got the original recipe from a library book. I cannot be sure. It is from the pages of my Big Blue Binder, and back when I was writing up recipes into my binder, I had no idea that one day I would be sharing them with the world. Make the soup. It's delicious.
Yield: 4
Pepperpot Soup
prep time: 10 minscook time: 30 minstotal time: 40 mins
An extraordinarily flavourful soup which also freezes well. I like to serve it with some crusty bread, for a heartier meal, or crackers for lunch.
ingredients:
- 480ml chicken stock (2 cups)
- 1 good sized potato, peeled and shredded
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded
- 1 stalk of celery, trimmed and chopped
- 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 small green pepper, trimmed, deseeded and finely chopped
You will also need:
- 35g plain flour (1/4 cup)
- 120ml water (1/2 cup)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 720ml whole milk (3 cups)
- hot pepper sauce (optional)
instructions:
- Put the vegetables into a large saucepan along with the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a slow simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Shake the water and flour together with the salt and pepper in a jar, until no lumps remain. Stir into the simmering vegetable mixture. Cook and stir until the mixture thickens. Slowly whisk in the milk and heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. I like to add a nice splash of hot pepper sauce, but it is up to you. Ladle out into heated bowls to eat.
Created using The Recipes Generator
Not sure how long this cold weather will last, but this soup is a very fitting way to start off the month of February and to ward off some of the cold. I wonder will the groundhog see his shadow tomorrow?
There are no groundhogs here in the UK of course, but I remember greeting the 2 of February every month with anticipation as a child growing up in Canada and hoping that the groundhog wouldn't see his shadow, and greatly looking forward to Spring, which, groundhog or not, always seems quite far off at this time of year! Bon Appetit!
We don't always have days when we are wanting a big meal to eat for our suppers in this house. I think as you get older, your appetites change and you don't eat quite so much as you did when you were younger.
I can remember back when I was first married, some many years ago, having a full supper and then cooking a box of Kraft Dinner or making a boxed pizza mix with my husband to snack on in the evening. My how things have changed!
Not only would I not be hungry enough to eat such a hearty snack before bed these days, but I also would end up suffering all night with acid reflux if I did! No, ageing is not for the weak! It comes accompanied with all sorts of delights to experience!
Anyways, I digress. We don't always want a big meal. Sometimes we only want a sandwich. There is no need for it to be a boring sandwich however! (As if I could ever make a boring sandwich!)
This tasty sandwich takes the concept of a simple grilled cheese and infuses it with the flavours of Alsace . . .
You begin with marinating onions in a mix of vinegar, olive oil and seasoning . . . it doesn't take long to do this, only 15 minutes. You will want to slice your onions as thinly as you can. I used my Essential 5-in-1 vegetable shredder to slice my onions. It is a really handy tool to have in the kitchen. Easy to
use, clean, store and maintain. I love it and use it a lot. You can find out more here.
Once you have the onions marinating, you can slice your cheese. I like Gruyere cheese, which is a lovely melting cheese. Gruyere is a melty type of Swiss cheese, with a lovely nutty flavour. I adore it.
If you can't get it, you can substitute it with Emmenthal, Beaufort, Jarsberg, Comte or Raclette cheese, but do try to get the Gruyere if you can. Don't use processed Swiss cheese slices. There is really no comparison. NO comparison.
You will also need some grainy mustard. I adore grainy mustard . . . with its robust texture and slight heat, it is lovely in any sandwich.
Sour dough bread is best, but any good white loaf will work well. You do want a sturdy one that will stand up to the filling.
I like to cut my slices about 3/4 of an inch thick . . .
Buttered on the outside with softened butter and spread on the inside with the grainy mustard . . .
Then topped with half of the cheese, and the marinated onions . . . and finally the remaining cheese, and then closed in with the other slice of bread . . .
It is then toasted or griddled in a hot skillet, on a grill pan, or pressed in a panini press, until golden brown on both sides and the cheese is oozingly melty. Yum! These are so tasty!
Yield: 4
Grilled Cheese with Marinated Onions
prep time: 15 minscook time: 15 minstotal time: 30 mins
A very different kind of grilled cheese sandwich. Simple ingredients put together easily to give sandwich with real WOW factor!
ingredients:
- 70ml extra virgin olive oil (1/3 cup)
- 2 - 3 TBS sherry vinegar
- (can use white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar)
- 2 TBS Kosher salt
- 1 TBS freshly ground black pepper
- 2 medim brown onions, peeled and very thinly sliced
- 8 slices of white or whole wheat sour dough bread
- 62g of whole grain mustard (1/4 cup)
- 230g Gruyere cheese (8 ounces) cut into very thin slices
- softened butter
instructions:
- First prepare the marinated onions. Put the onions into a bowl along with the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper Rub together to combine and then sit aside for about 15 minutes to pickle.
- To assemble the sandwiches, butter each slice of bread on one side only. Place four slices, buttered side down and spread the unbuttered side with the grainy mustard. Top with half of the sliced cheese, trying to keep as much of it inside the edges of the bread as possible. Divide the pickled onions evenly amongst the sandwiches. Top with the remaining cheese and then the other four slices of bread, buttered sides up.
- Toast the sandwiches in a large skillet, or in a panini press until the bread is toasted completely and the cheese has melted. Cut on the diagonal to serve. Serve hot.
Created using The Recipes Generator
I served them with a bit of rocket on the side and a garnish of some of the pickled onions we have leftover from Christmas. This was pure and utter comfort. There is no other word for it. I can imagine that if you are the drinking sort it would go down really lovely with a sparkling lager or cider, and maybe even a few potato crisps/chips on the side. Simple flavours done well and done simply. You can't beat it! Bon Appetit!
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