I have long held a great fascination for the horse and buggy people of North America. Amish, Old Mennonite, New Mennonite, etc.
Their way of life appears to me to be like a beacon of gentleness and peace in the disturbed landscape of today's modern world. Amish people are not as modern as the Mennonites.
They eschew anything modern, the Mennonites are a bit more progressive, but their way of life is still a lot gentler and more serene in many ways than our own.
I was instantly drawn to this recent cookbook written by Hope Helmuth of Hopeful Things.
I've only just recently discovered her on Instagram and when I realised she had written a cookery book,
I just had to have it to add to my much beloved collection of Amish and Mennonite Cookery Books.
This is a love that began when I was a much younger woman and mother, bringing up my own family.
I collected the Food that Schmecks series written by Edna Staebler who lived in the Ontario Mennonite communities of South Western, Ontario, Canada in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.
They are simple books, filled with simple recipes, each one sounding quite delectable as the other.
I confess I have come to love many of them through the years as has my family. Sour Cream Apple Pie is one recipe which we really love.
Another series of books I have really loved is the Cooking From Quilt Country books based on the television show of the same name, by Marsha Adams.
I love these books so much that, although I had to leave my first copies back in Canada when I moved over here to the UK, I bought myself new copies to have here when I could.
I also have several books by Lovinia Eicher and her mother. Plus several Amish/Mennonite community cookbooks.
Yes, their way of cooking and life are one of my great loves.
When I lived in South Western Ontario, in Georgetown, we would sometimes take ourselves to a very popular Mennonite restaurant in Saint Jacob called Anna Maes Bakery and Restaurant. Eating there was always a real treat.
I never ever had a bad eating experience there and even my mother loved to go there with us when she was visiting.
I have been devouring Hope's new book. I think it is just lovely.
It is filled with more than 150 delectably delicious sounding recipes, with beautiful photographs of each one. I do so love a cookery book with photos.
It is also a wonderful glimpse into the life of this sweet young woman and her family. She seems like someone you wouldn't mind having as a friend, and indeed I am quite sure she would always welcome you at her table.
The recipes in the book are nothing fancy. They are simple and very traditional.
The kind of recipes that speak to our hearts of home and hearth and family and God.
I am ever so happy that I bought it and I have already ear-marked a few recipes to try. The Potato Nest Skillet is calling my name ever so gently as is the Old Fashioned Country Ham Pot Pie and the Cobbler Cake looks to die for.
This recipe for Slow-Baked Macaroni really intrigued me. A slow baked macaroni and cheese. Everything gets stirred together and baked in a covered casserole dish for a period of 3 hours in a very low oven.
When I told my daughter about it, she said, ohhh, that's too long to cook macaroni, and yes one might think that it was, but it works.
I wasn't so sure about it myself when I first took it out of the oven and then spooned it out, but here I am a week later . . . still thinking about it.
This is pure comfort . . . nursery food . . . not at all what you would expect from a casserole of macaroni and cheese.
No, the macaroni is not al dente . . . I have decided that al dente can sometimes be over-rated.
This is pure and simple, soft and oh-so-rich . . . as comforting as a mother's warm hug.
Not quite what I expected, but I have fallen in love with it. Do use full fat cheeses, that you grate yourself and full fat milk.
This is not the time to count the calories. I used an artisanal strong cheddar. She uses a mix of Gouda and Cheddar . . . which would be extra ooey-gooey.
Slow-Baked Macaroni
Yield: 6
Old fashioned and comforting. Not your traditional mac and cheese. This reminds me of nursery food. Its delicious.
Ingredients:
- 235g elbow macaroni, uncooked (2 cups)
- 2 TBS melted unsalted butter
- 2 tsp salt
- 245g grated strong cheddar cheese (2 cups)
- 1 litre of whole milk (4 1/2 cups)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 115*C/235*F. Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Add the macaroni, melted butter and salt to the dish. Stir to coat well. Add the cheese and stir it all together again until thoroughly combined. Pour the milk over top. Cover tightly with a double sheet of aluminium foil.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 hours. Uncover and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes until golden.
- Serve warm as a delicious side dish.
I cannot recommend this cook book enough. It is a pure delight. I have fallen in love with it and with Hope's blog. This is a sweet, sweet woman with a sweet, sweet family. If you are not already aware of her, it is time that you were. it is just what we all need in these strange and turbulent times we are living in.
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
For as long as I can remember and beyond Saturday night suppers back home in Nova Scotia and indeed all down the Eastern part of Canada and the US, Saturday night baked bean suppers have been the tradition.
I had never heard of Bakewell anything until I moved over here to the UK. I have always, however, had a great fondness for almond flavoured cakes and bakes.
Don't get me started on chocolate covered almonds either . . . I cannot resist!
I had not been here very long when I ran into Bakewell Tarts . . . .
Little pastry cases filled with a layer of jam and topped an almond frangipane cake, and glazed with an almond iced, garnished with a candied cherry.
Todd just loves these. LOVES LOVES LOVES I have always found them a tiny bit cloying and somewhat too sweet.
That was my first experience with Bakewell, little did I know how very good they could actually be . . . until I baked my own . . . you can see those here.
That was when I truly fell in love with the Bakewell combination.
Since then I have played with the flavours of Bakewell baked goods, making Bakewell Whoopie Pies, Bakewell Slices, Bakewell Scones . . .
Raspberry Bakewell Overnight Oats, and . . . a traditional Bakewell Tart . . . just to name a few of my Bakewell creations.
Each one incredibly scrummy and yummy in their own unique Bakewell ways. But what is a Bakewell supposed to be you might well ask. Wikipedia describes it as thus:
The Bakewell tart developed as a variant of the Bakewell pudding in the 20th century. Although the terms Bakewell tart and Bakewell pudding have been used interchangeably, each name refers to a specific dessert recipe. The tart is closely associated with the town of Bakewell in Derbyshire.
Simple, right? Wrong . . . not so simple . . . there are as many variants and claims to invention as there are months in the year.
It is indeed a very intriguing question, one without a succinct answer except to say . . . almond flavour figures big when it comes to Bakewell anything.
And we shall leave it at that. This Bakewell Blondie is a small batch recipe I adapted from a full sized one I found here. The pictures looked amazing . . .
But in all honesty I didn't really want that much temptation laying around. Todd can only eat so much and I didn't want to be snuffling up the leftovers myself.
So I cut the recipe in half as best as I could and baked it in a 9 by 5-inch loaf tin, which is the perfect pan for baking small batch bars.
I was really pleased with the outcome until I realised that I had forgotten to put the almonds on top before baking . . . not a problem.
I drizzled an almond glaze over the cooled bars and then sprinkled toasted flaked almonds on top of that. Perfect!
These are fabulous little bars. FAB-EWE-LOUS! (And yes I know that is not the way to spell fabulous, I am trying to make a point here. They are really tasty!)
So good in fact that I am glad I only made a small batch. Rich, fudgy, sweet . . . dense and filled with white chocolate chips and almond flavours . . . with a swirl of raspberry jam and then that almond glaze and those flaked almonds.
Can you say M O R E I S H? I hope so because that is what these are! Incredibly edibly moreish.
Small Batch Bakewell Blondies
Yield: Makes 8 blondies
These amazing brownie type of bars are fudgy, sweet and gooey with jam. I have glazed them with an almond glaze and sprinkled toasted flaked almonds on top for a cookie bar you won't be able to resist!
Ingredients:
For the bars:
- 120g butter, melted (1/2 cup)
- 50g caster sugar (1/4 cup)
- 50g soft light brown sugar (1/4 cup packed)
- 1 large free range egg, beaten
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 50g ground almonds (1/3 cup)
- 100g plain flour (1 cup, minus 3 TBS)
- 1/2 TBS cornflour (cornstarch)
- 100g white chocolate chips (1/2 cup)
- 8 tsp raspberry jam
For the glaze and topping:
- 65g icing sugar (1/2 cup)
- few drops of almond extract
- hot water
- a handful of toasted flaked almonds
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line a 9 by 5 inch loaf tin with baking parchment, leaving an overhang. Set aside.
- Beat together the melted butter and both sugars until smooth. Beat in the egg and almond extract. Stir in the flour, corn flour and ground almonds until smooth and well mixed. Stir in the white chocolate chips. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tin. Smooth the top.
- Dollop the raspberry jam evenly spaced over top in little puddles. Using a skewer, lightly swirl it through the blondie mixture.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until they are done with a slight wobble in the centre. This could take longer, or it could take less time. Start checking at 25 minutes. It all depends on how hot your oven runs.
- Leave to cool completely in the tin before lifting out onto a cutting board.
- Whisk together the icing sugar, almond extract and just enough water to give you a thickish drizzle that you can easily flick over the top of the bars. Drizzle it over and then sprinkle with the almonds.
- Allow to set and then cut into 8 bars. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
If you only bake one thing this weekend, let it be these!
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!
The other day I made us some tasty Mexican Scrambled Eggs for our lunch/supper. We both enjoy Tex Mex flavours, and do enjoy a meal such as this every now and then. Quick each and incredibly delicious as well as being quite colourful!
I decided to make my own tortillas for this. I have a recipe of my own that I have been making for many years now. I started doing this back in the 1980's when mexican ingredients were not all that readily available. You can get that recipe here.
My family loved my enchiladas and I started making my own tortillas so that I could make them enchiladas from my leftover turkey and other roasts. I had seen this recipe however on Pinterest from Cafe Sucre Farine.
I really wanted to try it. They looked really good and I know that blog has a great reputation for producing good food.
I decided to use their recipe to make tortillas to serve with my Mexican Eggs.
The recipe was really easy to follow, although I always have had a problems rolling out perfect circles no matter what method I try to use. I suspect that only a tortilla press will give me perfect circles. These tortillas however, excellent. I highly recommend. I have shared the British measurements here.
Soft Flour Tortillas
Yield: Makes 16
These are simple to make and nice and soft. Delicious as well! Adapted with British Measurements from Cafe Sucre Farine.
Ingredients:
- 420g plain flour (3 cups all-purpose)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 80ml canola oil (1/3 cup)
- 240ml warm water (1 cup)
Instructions:
- Measure the flour, salt and baking powder into the bowl of a stand mixer (fitted with a dough hook) or into a bowl. Give it a good whisk together to combine. Mix together the water and oil. Drizzle this mixture into the flour with your mixer running on medium speed until a soft dough is formed. Reduce the speed to low and beat on low for a further minute or so until smooth. I needed to add a tiny bit more flour. (If you are doing this with a hand mixture. Tip out and knead on a lightly floured surface until you have a smooth dough.)
- Divide the dough into sixteen equal pieces. Shape into balls. Flatten each ball slightly with your hands. Cover with a clean soft kitchen towel and set aside to rest for fifteen minutes. (You can leave to rest for as much as 2 hours.)
- When you are ready to cook them, place each dough round, one at a time, onto a lightly floured surface and, using a floured rolling pin, roll out to a circle 6 to 7 inches in diameter. (Mine were not completely round as much as I tried. I think the only way to get them truly round is to use a tortilla press.) Do not stack them as they will stick together.
- Heat a 10 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Working with one tortilla at a time, cook for 40 to 60 seconds on one side in the heated skillet (the tortilla should have some light brown blisters and some bubbles should appear on the uncooked side) and then flip over and cook for about 15 to 20 seconds longer. Remove from the skillet and stack in a covered container to keep warm while you cook the remaining ones.
- These will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week in an airtight container or a zip lock bag. You can freeze them for longer if you wish. Separate them in the bag with a square of baking or greaseproof paper.
They were perfect to serve with the Mexican Scrambled Eggs. I like toast with my eggs. I am an egg and toast person.
Mexican Scrambled Eggs however deserve a different kind of bread to accompany them and soft flour tortillas are the way to go!
This is the perfect lunch dish (or breakfast) for two people, with plenty of colour and flavour.
Two kinds of peppers, red and green . . . chopped red onion . . . a bit of pickled jalapeno for heat and some chopped fresh tomato. I used quartered cherry tomatoes. Softened and mixed with perfectly scrambled eggs.
I like to serve them with some jack cheese melted on top, a dollop of sour cream and then a garnish of chopped spring onions or chives. These were fabulous.
Mexican Scrambled Eggs
Yield: 2
These flavourful eggs make a great breakfast or lunch. Filled with plenty of colour and texture.
Ingredients:
- 3 large free range eggs
- 2 TBS milk
- 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
- 1/2 green pepper, chopped
- 1/2 red pepper, chopped
- 6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 TBS chopped pickled jalapeno peppers
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 TBS of butter
- a handful of grated jack cheese to sprinkle
- chopped chives or spring onion to garnish
- sour cream
- warm soft flour tortillas to serve
Instructions:
- Prepare your vegetables. Melt 1 TBS butter in a skillet. Add the onion and peppers. cook stirring until softened. Add the tomatoes and jalapeno pepper. Stir through and cook for one minute longer. Remove to a bowl. Keep warm. Wipe the pan clean.
- Beat the eggs together with the milk. Season lightly.
- Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat. Once it begins to foam, pour in the egg mixture. Let set just until it begins to set on the bottom and around the edges, then begin to lie the cooked portion with a wooden spatula so that the uncooked portion can flow underneath. Repeat until the eggs are softly cooked. No stirring needed. They will be thickened through and yet still moist and fluffy.
- Fold in the cooked vegetables and stir though. Scatter the cheese on top and allow to melt. Add a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with spring onions or chives. Serve immediately with warm soft tortillas.
I don't think you can go wrong if you are looking for a nice light breakfast or lunch for two. I would even serve these as a light supper with a salad on the side. These beautiful tortillas also really added a special touch!
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