Hot Chicken Salad. This recipe is one of my long time favourites. I reckon I've been enjoying it since the 1960's, hence the title.
Its a plain unadulterated recipe. Its not hot chicken salad with pasta, nor is it a hot chicken salad with rice recipe. Its just plain and simple. The kind of recipe your mom might have made.
I've been playing today with another system of photo editing. Mostly because my computer was doing updates that were taking forever, and so I had to download my photos onto another system and figure out how to crop/edit the there.
I guess it did an okay job. It was a very steep learning curve for me!
This is a very nostalgic casserole recipe. Like I said, it is most likely something which your mother probably cooked at one time or another when you were growing up (if you are around my age anyways!).
It was a very popular luncheon dish for Ladies Who Lunch back in the 1960's and 70's. Simple and yet very delicious!
Its a classic combination of cooked diced chicken, celery, mayo, with a few delicious twists along the way.
For a simple and easy lunch or supper, it really doesn't get much better than this!
You begin with a rich and creamy chicken base . . . rich with mayonnaise and sour cream.
Mayonnaise and sour cream work very well together, especially in casseroles like this one.
Crunch is supplied with the addition of plenty of chopped celery. I love celery. I always de-string mine. It was a habit I picked up when I worked at the Manor.
Its an easy thing to do and I actually like celery better that way. Sometimes strings can be really chewy and they can get caught in your teeth.
Ladies who lunch don't like things caught in their teeth. Its a huge no no.
Simply take your knife and catch the ends of the strings (one at a time) at one cut edge and pull them down the length of the stalk of celery, which lifts them out, and just discard.
There is cheese in the salad base and again in the topping.
I used a mix of coloured and uncoloured strong cheddar.
The cheese adds another depth of flavour and richness . . . and its lovely melted on top.
I always try to grate my own cheese when I can. Grating your own cheese is not only economical, but I think it usually works better than already grated cheeses you might buy.
Melted on top, it helps to grab hold of the crushed potato chips and flaked almonds, keeping them in place.
Were potato chips or cracker crumbs a popular feature on the casseroles of your childhood? I have to say the addition of flakes almonds really adds even more deliciousness.
Admittedly this is not low in calories . . . but when Ladies are lunching, they don't really want to watch their calories, although they may say differently.
They want their lunch to be a treat and a feast. After all, its not something which happens every day.
You could use low fat sour cream, mayo and cheese if you wanted to, but I can't vouch for the results.
I'm an in for a penny, in for a pound kind of a girl, and always have been, which is probably why I look the way I do! ha ha!
Actually this makes the perfect low-carb casserole dish, so long as you omit the potato chips on top. Simply use more almonds if you wish.
If you want more crunch in the dish itself, you could add chopped or sliced water-chestnuts . . .
A hint of sweet can be added (if you are not low-carbing it) by adding some chopped dried cranberries, which also add a touch of colour!
Its pretty delicious either way. I served it today with some sliced garden tomatoes, but a green salad would also be nice.
Hot Chicken Salad
Yield: 4 - 6
This quick and easy casserole is delicious and the sort of thing we might have seen our mother serving when she hosted a ladies luncheon. It was fabulous then and it is pretty fabulous now!
ingredients:
- 6 single boneless chicken breasts, poached and cubed
- 2 stalks celery, trimmed, washed and chopped
- 1 small onion, peeled and minced
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- 120g grated strong cheddar cheese (1 cup), divided
- 110g full fat mayonnaise ( 1/2 cup)
- 30g dairy sour cream (1/4 cup)
- 60ml chicken broth (1/4 cup)
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 small single serving packet of plain salted potato chips
- 45g flaked almonds (1/4 cup)
instructions:
How to cook Hot Chicken Salad
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Have ready a 11 inch by 7 inch shallow baking dish. No need to butter it.
- Mix together the cubed chicken, chopped celery, chopped onion, minced garlic, 2/3 of the grated cheese, the mayonnaise and the sour cream. Combine well together and spread into the baking dish. Drizzle the chicken broth over top. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over all. Sprinkle with the potato chips and the flaked almonds. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling.
- Let sit for five minutes or so before serving. A salad goes very well alongside.
NOTES:
You can very easily dress this up by adding chopped dried cranberries, or drained chopped pineapple to this. Chopped water chestnuts are also nice. You can also add a TBS of lemon juice and some lemon zest. You can also use the equivalent in leftover roasted chicken or a rotisserie chicken, about 3 cups of diced meat.
If your family has particularly hearty appetites and you are serving them this, you could also serve it with a side of steamed rice of baked potatoes. My husband enjoyed a baked potato with his.
This is very easily done in the microwave these days. Just prick with a fork, wrap with some paper toweling and microwave on high for 5 to 6 minutes, depending on the size of your potato. The potato should yield to a slight pressure when it is done. Easy peasy!
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
One thing that I like to make from scratch is mayonnaise. That's why I was dismayed when my immersion blender disappeared!
Once you have made your own mayo from scratch you will want to make it all the time rather than buy it.
The recipe makes a decent amount, not too much, and I have never had a problem using it all up within a week. I would not keep it for any longer than that.
It does use a raw egg, but if you are bothered about that you can use pasteurized egg or a coddled egg. Personally I am not bothered.
I find our eggs are very safe today. However, if you are worried about that, or you have an elderly person or a very young person in the home do try my method of coddling the egg first, and then just add it and proceed as per the recipe below.
To coddle an egg:
- Bring a small pot of water to boiling.
- Set up an ice bath (lots of ice and cold water in a bowl).
- When water begins to boil, submerge whole egg into the pot for exactly 1-minute.
- Remove and immediately place in an ice bath for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Remove and use in place of raw egg.
I just use the juice of the lemon, but you can also add the zest for a really nice lemony touch, or even a clove of raw or roasted garlic for a garlic mayo.
You just put everything into the blender cup of your immersion blender. It is important that the liquid comes over the top of the blades of the blender, or it won't work properly.
I put the egg, lemon juice or vinegar, and mustard in first and then pour the oil in over top of those. Let it sit for a few seconds. Put the blender head in, reaching right to the bottom and turn it on.
Leave it for a few seconds and you will see it start to emulsify and creep up the sides of the container, then you can slowly life the blender up, tilting it now and then until you reach the top and the whole mixture has emulsified.
It won't take very long at all. 60 seconds if that. You can then stir in any seasonings you want to use. I sometimes use a mix of lemon juice and cider vinegar. I don't always add sugar.
Real mayonnaise does not have sugar in it, but depending on what I am using it for, sometimes I do add a bit.
It always comes out perfectly thick, rich and beautiful, as you can see. Its also very easy to flavour it. If you have some basil oil, or chili oil, you can substitute a bit of the regular oil with that. I would not use any more than a TBS of the flavoured oil.
I also don't use any oil other than a basic vegetable oil. I would never make it with extra virgin olive oil. You want a flavourless light oil. Only add other oils in a small quantity to add some flavour and nothing more.
This is beautiful and such a simple thing to make. Once you try it you will never go back to store bought if you can possibly help it. Trust me on this!
I also like to make my own Salad Cream. It does require a bit more work than mayonnaise as it is cooked, but there is nothing like a homemade salad cream to use in a potato salad or a coleslaw.
Two Minute Mayonnaise
Yield: makes about 220g/ 1 cup
If you have a stick blender/immersion blender homemade mayonnaise is only a few minutes away. You can also do it in a food processor or regular blender but it takes a tiny bit more effort.
ingredients:
- 1 whole free range egg, or two egg yolks
- 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp mustard powder (can also use Dijon mustard)
- 240ml flavourless vegetable oil (1 cup)
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp sugar (optional)
- white pepper to taste
instructions:
How to cook Two Minute Mayonnaise
- Place the mustard, egg, sugar (if using) and lemon juice in the bottom of the blender container of your immersion blender. Top with the oil. Let sit for about 30 seconds. Then put the wand/head of the immersion blender into the container, right to the bottom, and turn it on, lifting it slowly and tilting the head as the mayonnaise forms. Don't lift it up and down or pump it. Season to taste with salt and pepper. I like white pepper as it doesn't colour the mayonnaise. You can use cider vinegar instead of lemon juice.
- If you are using a regular blender or food processor. Add everything to the bowl of the blender/processor and turn it on, drizzling the oil in slowly through the feeder tube until it thickens and emulsifies.
- Keep in a covered container in the refrigerator.
I used this to make cucumber sandwiches to take to Grace's Birthday Party. I just spread medium thick slices of bread on both sides with the mayonnaise. You can see how nicely it spreads.
Thick and not gloppy. I like to cut my cucumber for it very thinly with a mandolin cutter, and than layer it as you can see.
Its not as slippery when done that way. (You can also pat them dry with paper towels.) I seasoned them today just salt however as Ariana had requested just salt. I personally like a bit of pepper as well.
For a tea party I would cut off the crusts. But for a child's birthday party, I just left the crusts on. I also garnished them with some radish roses.
I was going to tell you how to add different flavourings to your mayonnaise to dress up your sandwiches, salad plates, etc. But I found a lovely Info graphic that does a wonderful job of just that!
I broke it down into sections so that you could view it better and larger. I hope you don't mind.
Some of them sound quite, quite delicious and I may give them a go! After-all tis the season for such things! I can see me serving the Sesame Ginger one with some lovely poached salmon
The Buffalo Cheese Mayo would be fabulous with chicken, and I think the Chipotle would be just wonderful on burgers, as would the Spicy Horseradish-Parmesan version!
(source)
No matter how you choose to enjoy your mayonnaise, I think you will agree that once you have made your own and see how easy it is to do so, its something you will want to do often!
This is the Immersion Blender that I have now. It is a Cookhouse Model. As with all of their products I am very impressed with it. Its midway priced and performs impeccably. Its easy to clean as well. (I just immerse it in a cup of hot soapy water and blitz away!)
They did not send me a free one to use, or ask me to tell you about them. I received it as an early Birthday Gift from a friend. I quite simply wanted to share it with you because I am really happy with it and I think you would be too.
Have a great day!
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
I never got anything new baked to share with you this weekend. The weather has been uber hot here and I just can't bring myself to do much in the way of cooking. I thought it would be another opportunity to share some of the recipes from my old Oak Cottage Blog that I used to have years ago. Although the photography is not the best, the recipes are all sound and delicious. There's a little something here for everyone!
You can't beat a delicious Sticky Marmalade Loaf. It has a beautiful flavour and texture. Filled with toasted pecan nuts, with more adorning the top and a final glaze of marmalade, this is one you will want to enjoy with a nice hot cuppa! We like to spread slices of it with butter when we eat it!
*Sticky Marmalade Tea Loaf*
Makes 1 2-lb loaf (serves approx. 12)Printable Recipe
I like to use extra chunky marmalade in this delicious tea bread. It helps to give extra texture to the baked loaf and prettifies the top! Yorkshire Tea company does make a lovely marmalade loaf of their own, which is quite good, but you just can't beat homemade! It's always infinitely better! (Besides my own is twice the size and half the price, not to mention just that bit tastier!)
140g of marmalade (reserve 1 TBS for later) (2/3 cup)
170g of butter, softened (3/4 cup)
170g ounces light soft brown sugar (3/4 cup)
3 large free range eggs, beaten
280g self rising flour (2 cups)
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp mixed spice
100g pecan halves, divided (scant cup)
Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4. Lightly butter a 2 pound loaf tin and then line it with greaseproof paper. Set aside, along with 1 TBS of the marmalade (in a small sauce pan.)
Put the butter, remaining marmalade, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and spices into a large bowl. Blend with an electric beater for two minutes or so until smooth and light. Stir in 2/3 of the pecan nuts.
Tip the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining pecan nuts over top evenly. Bake in the heated oven for about 1 - 1 1/4 hours until a skewer inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly touched. (If it is browning too much you can cover it with foil after 45 minutes) Once cooked remove it from the tin and allow to cool slightly on a wire rack.
Gently heat the reserved marmalade and then brush it evenly over top of the warm loaf. Allow to cool and serve cut into slices.
This is a lovely refreshing pie in the summer months. You do need to bake it briefly in the oven, but not long enough to really heat up the kitchen!
Serves 8
Printable Recipe
This pie is not only easy and quick to make, but oh so very tasty. With it's wonderfully scrumptious lemon filling and it's spicy gingersnap crust it is moreishly delicious! A real pleaser on all levels! Another one from my big blue binder.
FILLING:
the grated zest and juice of 3 lemons (I always use unwaxed)
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten (freeze the whites to make a pavlova or meringues at a later date)
1 14-ounce tin of sweetened condensed milk (400g)
1 TBS sugar
a pre-baked gingersnap crust (see below)
TO SERVE:
1 cup heavy cream, chilled (240ml)
1/4 cup sugar (45g)
Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4. Stir the lemon juice, lemon zest and the egg yolks together in a bowl. Whisk in the condensed milk and sugar and combine thoroughly.
Pour the filling into the prepared crust and then place on a baking tray. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Cover with cling film and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.
When ready to serve, beat the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and beat just to combine. Cut the pie into slices and garnish each slice with a nice dollop of the sweetened cream to serve.
*Gingersnap Pie Crust*
makes one 9 inch pie crust4 ounces of gingersnap cookies, crushed into fine crumbs (about 1 cup of crumbs)
(Over here I use gingernuts and crush them in my blender)
1/2 cup finely ground almonds or pecans (50g)
5 TBS unsalted butter, melted
Pre-heat the oven to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Stir the gingersnap crumbs and almonds together in a bowl. Add the melted butter and stir to mix evenly together. Turn into a 9 inch pie plate and press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides to form a crust.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until it feels dry and firm. Let cool to room temperature before filling.
What was your favourite flavour of pudding (North American Pudding) when you were a child. Mine was chocolate pudding. It was actually rather strange because I hated really did not like chocolate milk, but chocolate pudding, I was in love with!
*Chocolate Pudding*
Serves 4Alternately, don't cover it with the cream and instead serve it with whipped cream. Its also very nice with some crumbled cinder toffee sprinkled on top of the whipped cream. Just saying!
*Cinder Toffee*
Every child's delight this is a wonderful
concoction that magically turns from a thick syrup into a heavenly light
sponge of delicious sweet confection once you add the magic ingredient .
. . baking soda. One feels a bit like a mad scientist when they are
making this. It's soooo sweet and soooo good!
3 1/2 TBS salted butter, plus extra for greasing
300ml water (1 1/4 cups)
4 teaspoons malt vinegar
3 tablespoons golden syrup
450g granulated sugar (2 1/3 cups)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 bar of good quality chocolate, *optional (I use green and blacks organic milk chocolate)
Grease a large baking tin well with butter and set it aside. (mine was an 11 by 7 inch tin)
Place the butter, water, and vinegar into a large saucepan. Heat until the butter has melted. Add the golden syrup and sugar. Heat and stir until the sugar completely dissolves. Once it has dissolved and it is all mixed well together, STOP stirring. Clip your candy thermometer onto the side of the pan if you have one. Bring the mixture to the boil and allow to boil without stirring it until the mass reaches the hard crack stage on your candy thermometer. (if you don't have a candy thermometer a teaspoon of the molten toffee dropped into a saucer of cold water at hard crack stage will form brittle strands and crack when you try to shape it)
Be very careful as this mixture is very hot and can be dangerous. This is not a recipe for children to be making.
Remove the mixture from the heat and carefully stir in the baking soda. It will immediately froth up. Keep stirring gently until the bubbles begin to subside. Working very quickly, pour it into the prepared pan. Wait for between ten and twenty minutes until the mixture is set up but still warm, and then knock it out of the pan and break the toffee into pieces. Lay these pieces out on a wire rack until completely cooled, then transfer to an air-tight container (or your mouth).
*If you wish to coat yours in chocolate, break up your chocolate into small bits and melt it in a bowl set over simmering water. Dip each piece of cooled cinder toffee into the melted chocolate to coat, and then place the coated pieces on a rack to dry completely before storing in an air tight container.
3 1/2 TBS salted butter, plus extra for greasing
300ml water (1 1/4 cups)
4 teaspoons malt vinegar
3 tablespoons golden syrup
450g granulated sugar (2 1/3 cups)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 bar of good quality chocolate, *optional (I use green and blacks organic milk chocolate)
Grease a large baking tin well with butter and set it aside. (mine was an 11 by 7 inch tin)
Place the butter, water, and vinegar into a large saucepan. Heat until the butter has melted. Add the golden syrup and sugar. Heat and stir until the sugar completely dissolves. Once it has dissolved and it is all mixed well together, STOP stirring. Clip your candy thermometer onto the side of the pan if you have one. Bring the mixture to the boil and allow to boil without stirring it until the mass reaches the hard crack stage on your candy thermometer. (if you don't have a candy thermometer a teaspoon of the molten toffee dropped into a saucer of cold water at hard crack stage will form brittle strands and crack when you try to shape it)
Be very careful as this mixture is very hot and can be dangerous. This is not a recipe for children to be making.
Remove the mixture from the heat and carefully stir in the baking soda. It will immediately froth up. Keep stirring gently until the bubbles begin to subside. Working very quickly, pour it into the prepared pan. Wait for between ten and twenty minutes until the mixture is set up but still warm, and then knock it out of the pan and break the toffee into pieces. Lay these pieces out on a wire rack until completely cooled, then transfer to an air-tight container (or your mouth).
*If you wish to coat yours in chocolate, break up your chocolate into small bits and melt it in a bowl set over simmering water. Dip each piece of cooled cinder toffee into the melted chocolate to coat, and then place the coated pieces on a rack to dry completely before storing in an air tight container.
You have heard of Lemon Drizzle Loaf, this is a Jaffa Drizzle Loaf. Flavoured with orange and drizzled with chocolate!
Cuts into 8 - 1 slices
Printable Recipe
Chocolate and orange are an unbeatable combination. This light and zesty cake makes the best of those two lovely flavours.
FOR THE CAKE:
140g of butter, softened (2/3 cup)
280g self raising flour (2 cups)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
225g sugar (1 cup + 3 TBS)
3 large free range eggs
6 TBS milk
the finely grated zest of 1 large orange
TO FINISH:
3 TBS fresh orange juice
5 TBS sugar
2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a medium loaf tin and line the bottom with some baking parchment. Butter the parchment.
Put all the cake ingredients into a large bowl and beat with your electric mixer until light and fluffy. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf tin and level the top. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch when lightly touched with a fingertip. Alternately you can stick a toothpick into the centre. If it comes out clean . . . the cake is done!
In the meantime, heat the orange juice and sugar gently in small pan. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
Remove the finished cake from the oven and set aside on a rack. Do not remove from the pan. Take a toothpick or a fork and punch holes into it all over the top. Spoon the orange/sugar mixture all over the top, waiting for it to soak in before adding more. Leave to cool completely in the pan. Once cool, remove from the tin and place on the rack again.
Melt the chocolate bits in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, or in the microwave on medium for 1 to 2 minutes, depending on the strength of your microwave. (I microwave it at 30 second intervals until it is meltingly soft) Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cake with a fork and then leave to set before slicing.
Our Blueberries are ripening at the moment. Time to make this lucious Blueberry Sour Cream Cake.
*Blueberry Soured Cream Cake*Serves 10
Printable Recipe
Moist yellow cake studded with luscious blueberries . . . all topped with a delicious cream cheese icing and more fresh blueberries. This is a winning cake on all counts!
180g butter, softened (3/4 cup)
170g caster sugar (14 TBS)
3 large free range eggs
280g self raising flour (2 cups)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
75g carton of sour cream, divided (9 1/2 TBS)
375g punnets of blueberries Scant 4 cups)
FOR THE FROSTING:
Moist yellow cake studded with luscious blueberries . . . all topped with a delicious cream cheese icing and more fresh blueberries. This is a winning cake on all counts!
180g butter, softened (3/4 cup)
170g caster sugar (14 TBS)
3 large free range eggs
280g self raising flour (2 cups)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
75g carton of sour cream, divided (9 1/2 TBS)
375g punnets of blueberries Scant 4 cups)
FOR THE FROSTING:
2 TBS butter
2 TBS cream cheese
195g sugar (1 1/2 cup)
drop of vanilla
Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch round deep cake tin and line the bottom with baking parchment. Butter the parchment.
Put the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and vanilla into a bowl. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes with an electric beater until it is pale and well mixed. Beat in 4 Tablespoons of sour cream, then carefully fold in half of the blueberries.
Spread the batter in the prepared pan and level it off. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 50 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly pressed or a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool in the tin for 1o minutes, then take out of the tin and peel of the parchment paper. Leave to finish cooling on a wire rack.
Beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla with the icing sugar until you have a smooth and creamy mixture. Spread over the top of the completely cooled cake. Scatter the remaining half of the blueberries on top.
This cake will keep well in the refrigerator for several days. (If it lasts that long!) Deliciously moreish!
I scream. You scream. We all scream for Ice Cream! Especially if it boasts a lovely Maple Walnut topping!
*Maple Walnut Ice Cream Sundaes*Serves 1
Printable Recipe
This hardly seems a recipe, it is so simple. You can multiply the amounts according to however many people you are wanting to serve it to. Once you taste how delicious it is, and see how easy it is to do, you will wonder why you didn’t think of it yourself!
¼ cup of pure maple syrup (60ml)
¼ cup chopped walnuts of pecans (35g)
1 large scoop of vanilla ice cream
Heat a non stick skillet over medium heat for a few minutes and then toss in the nuts. Toast them in the heated skillet for about two to three minutes. Once they are toasted and begin to smell all fragrantly nutty, pour in the Maple syrup and let it bubble up. Remove it from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes, until it is just warm. (Not hot, unless you want soup, instead of ice cream!)
Scoop vanilla ice cream into a dish andthen pour the maple nut sauce over top and enjoy!
I love it with walnuts myself, but that is probably because it reminds me of the maple walnut ice cream from home. That was always my father’s favourite flavour and every mouthful always reminds me of him.
This hardly seems a recipe, it is so simple. You can multiply the amounts according to however many people you are wanting to serve it to. Once you taste how delicious it is, and see how easy it is to do, you will wonder why you didn’t think of it yourself!
¼ cup of pure maple syrup (60ml)
¼ cup chopped walnuts of pecans (35g)
1 large scoop of vanilla ice cream
Heat a non stick skillet over medium heat for a few minutes and then toss in the nuts. Toast them in the heated skillet for about two to three minutes. Once they are toasted and begin to smell all fragrantly nutty, pour in the Maple syrup and let it bubble up. Remove it from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes, until it is just warm. (Not hot, unless you want soup, instead of ice cream!)
Scoop vanilla ice cream into a dish andthen pour the maple nut sauce over top and enjoy!
I love it with walnuts myself, but that is probably because it reminds me of the maple walnut ice cream from home. That was always my father’s favourite flavour and every mouthful always reminds me of him.
Our Strawberries are all but done now, but you can still load up on fresh Scottish strawberries at the shops!
Printable Recipe
Easy to make and a beauty to behold. This lovely tortecombines a wonderfully crisp and buttery shortbread crust with all the decadence of a luscious cream filling, topped with gorgeously sweet strawberries. A final dusting of powdered sugar is it’s crowning glory. It’s hard to believe that something so easy can be so impressive, but it’s true!
CRUST:
½ cup of pecans or walnuts, toasted (45g)
1 ½ cups plain flour (210g)
2 TBS caster sugar
¾ cup cold butter (180g)
8 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature (230g)
½ cup caster sugar 45g)
1 cup whipping cream (240ml)
3 cups fresh strawberries, halved
Icing sugar to dust over the top and a few whole berries for a garnish
Pre-heat the oven to 165*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Place the nuts in a food processor and pulse them until they are finely chopped, taking care not to turn them into a paste. It should only take 4 or 5 pulses. Add the sugar and the flour and pulse to mix. When well blended, add the butter, 2 TBS at a time through the hopper, pulsing until the mixture forms a crumbly consistency, and the butter is worked well throughout.
Remove the crumbs from the processor and spread into a 10 inch spring form pan. Press evenly on the bottom and pushing one inch up the sides of the pan to form a shallow crust with one inch sides. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack and let cool completely in the pan.
Once the crust is cooled, place the cream cheese and sugar in a small bowl and beat together until fluffy and well blended. Place the whipping cream in another bowl and whip until soft peaks form, taking care not to over beat it. You don’t want it to be granular. Slowly fold the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream, until well blended. Spread evenly in the cooled crust and then refrigerate for an hour or so to firm up.
When ready to serve, arrange the sliced berries on the top of the chilled cream mixture in a decorative manner, placing a few berries in the centre to garnish. Remove the sides of the spring form pan and place on a serving plate. Dust lightly with icing sugar.
*Note - Don’t ever wash strawberries. They become soggy and waterlogged. Just lightly wipe them with some damp paper towelling if they are dusty and dirty. Also, don’t refrigerate them. The flavour is so much better at room temperature, and if you can leave them out in the sun for a bit until they are lovely and warm and juicy, so much the better!
I reckon that's enough for you to be getting on with this weekend! Hope you are having a good one! Its Grace's first birthday party today and we are looking forward to going to that. I hope the sun shines for it!
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