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Traditional Cottage Pie

Wednesday, 20 January 2021

Traditional Cottage Pie 




There is no more comforting a supper on a cold winter's than a traditional cottage pie. I wanted to share this cottage pie recipe with you today that I have downsized from my original recipe for a simple cottage pie which serves 4-6 people. This version is half that size. 



This English classic need not be reserved just for the large family. Why should the smaller family suffer for lack of numbers? I am here to say that you can eat just as well when you are only one or two as you can when you are more.



Traditional Cottage Pie  



A traditional cottage pie consists of a rich meaty filling on the bottom, topped with vegetables, blanketed in a top layer of potato thatch! It is the ultimate in comfort food! 



You can make it with either leftover roast beef, as I have here today, or fresh ground beef, which is also the custom in many homes. It is very similar to its close cousin, the Shepherd's Pie.   



Traditional Cottage Pie 



You may find yourself asking the question, what is the difference between a cottage pie and a shepherd's pie?  Great question.


They are very similar casseroles, but in a cottage pie beef is traditionally used as the meat and in a shepherd's pie the meat is usually lamb.  You can use either leftover meat from your Sunday roast or fresh meat, depending on what you have in your kitchen.




Traditional Cottage Pie 



This is one of the things I like to make whenever I have leftover roast beef in my refrigerator. It makes a great change from making hash or a pot pie, which are my usual go-to's.


You don't even need to have leftover gravy to make it. I tell you how to make a delicious beef sauce without any gravy, By all means, however, do use gravy if you are lucky enough to have some!


Traditional Cottage Pie 


Not only is it very easy to make, but it is also incredibly economical. Something we are all aware of these days. 



We all want the food we eat to fit within our budgets. That is especially important when you are a smaller family.



Traditional Cottage Pie 



You might think that it is much cheaper for two people to eat than it is for four.  Simply not true. In fact in many cases it may even cost more, especially if you tend to buy smaller packages of things.


Typically smaller packages cost more than the larger sized versions of the same per ounce/gram.  I am not sure why that is.


Traditional Cottage Pie 




A good steward of the family budget needs to be able to make wise choices when it comes to the purchase of food. I have found that it is much more budget-savvy to buy the larger sizes, break them down and freeze the excess for a later date.


Being budget-savvy also means making the best use of what you have. Our fore-bearers knew exactly how to do that and dishes like Cottage Pie helped them to do just that.


Traditional Cottage Pie 





As I said, you can use either cooked leftover roast in this or fresh hamburger. If you are using fresh minced beef you need to brown it. I find it is easiest to do this when you are sautéing the onions and other aromatics.


An aromatic is a vegetable used in cooking that develop deep and well rounded flavors to a dish when chopped or crushed and then heated and cooked. Aromatics most commonly used tend to be onions, carrots and celery.


Traditional Cottage Pie 




Typically these are added at the beginning when you are cooking a dish. This helps them to add as much flavor and aroma as possible.  


These are the things which bring others into the kitchen begging and answer to  the question, "What's cooking?" These things typically set our tastebuds to tingling in overtime!



Traditional Cottage Pie 




For this recipe I have minced leftover cooked roast beef and added it to onions, carrots, swede/rutabaga and celery.  This is browned gently in butter, which adds much to the flavors.


Once browned a quantity of flour is added which will thicken the gravy. Make sure you cook it for a few minutes to cook out the flavor of the flour. This is a really important step to take as there is nothing worse than the flavor of raw flour in a sauce.



Traditional Cottage Pie 



Once that is done a bit of beef stock is added along with some tomato paste, brown/HP sauce and herbs. You don't need to add the brown sauce, but I find it really adds a special something to the depth of flavor in this gravy.



You can add Worcestershire sauce in its place if that is all you have. It also works beautifully here.



Traditional Cottage Pie 




I sometimes like to add a bit of creamed horseradish as well. Not a lot, only a dab.  You want just the merest hint of it.  Horseradish goes very well with beef. 



Meat sauce made, it goes into the bottom of the dish and a layer of vegetables go on top. Typically I use frozen peas and I add them frozen, which not only helps to preserve the color of them somewhat, but also helps to keep them fresher tasting during the longer bake time. 




Traditional Cottage Pie 




You don't have to use peas. Some people use corn. Some people use both.  Some people use a frozen mix of vegetables such as peas, corn, beans, etc.  All work well.


The star of the show is the potato thatch which blankets the top of the dish. Creamy, fluffy and delicious, it seals in all the goodness of that rich and meaty base perfectly.


Traditional Cottage Pie 



Our typical vision of the ideal English Cottage is one which is covered with a thatched roof of straw.  That is why this covering of mashed potatoes is called the "thatch."  I love the quaint reasoning behind these English recipes, along with their simplicity.



I like to score a pattern in the thatch which adds to the attractiveness I think. Its not really necessary. You can just pile it on and swirl it, or not.  Just make sure it covers the filling all the way to the edges.  Typically some of the juices will bubble up through anyways.  



Traditional Cottage Pie




I cannot tell a lie, those rich corners where the juices of the gravy bubble through are my favorite bits.  I love all of this comfort food casserole really.  That rich and meaty filling, the crisp buttery potato thatch, those meaty juiced edges.



Its all pretty good if you ask me!  Somehow, no matter what your day has handed you, even the worst day gets tangibly better when a Cottage Pie is on the menu!  Today I served it with some coleslaw, but any salad will do, or even a simple slice of buttered brown bread.  Enjoy!! 


Cottage Pie for Two

Cottage Pie for Two
Yield: 2
Author: Marie Rayner
prep time: 15 Mincook time: 45 Mininactive time: 15 Mintotal time: 1 H & 15 M
Simple, delicious, and a family pleasing comfort food. Downsized for two people.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups (200g) leftover roast beef, roughly chopped, or browned ground beef
  • 1/2 TBS butter
  • 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 stick celery, trimmed and chopped
  • 1/2 small carrot, peeled and grated
  • a 2-inch cube of swede (rutabaga) peeled and grated
  • 1/2 TBS tomato paste ( tomato puree)
  • 1/2 TBS plain flour
  •   1 tsp brown sauce (HP sauce)
  • 3/4 cup (200ml) well flavoured beef stock
  • 1/4 tsp summer savoury
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup (50g) frozen peas
For the potato thatch:
  •  3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
  • warm milk
  • a knob of butter
  • salt and pepper
  •  1 TBS grated cheese (Parmesan or cheddar)
  • melted butter to brush (optional

Instructions

  1. First make the potatoes for the thatch topping.
  2. Put the potatoes in a pot of lightly salted water and
  3. bring to the boil. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes until soft. Drain well
  4. and then return the potatoes to the pan. Shake the pan over the residual heat of the burner to dry them out a bit and then mash the potatoes well until smooth with some warm milk, and a knob of butter. Season to  taste with salt and pepper and stir in the cheese. Set aside and keep warm.
  5. To make the filling, melt the butter in a skillet. Add the
  6. onion, celery, carrot and sweet. Cook, stirring frequently over medium low heat until softened and the onion is translucent. Stir in the flour. Slowly stir in the beef stock and bring to the boil.
  7. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the tomato puree, brown sauce, and summer savoury. Season to taste with salt and black pepper and then stir in the chopped beef.
  8. Pour this mixture into the bottom of a buttered 1/2 litre (3 cup) shallow baking dish. Sprinkle the frozen peas over top evenly.
  9. Spread the mashed potatoes on top tocover. Rough up the potato a bit with a fork. Brush with melted butter.
  10. Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Bake the casserole in the heated oven for 45 minutes until the potatoes are golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Let stand 15 minutes prior to serving. Serve hot with your favourite sides.

notes:

If you are using ground beef brown it in the skillet along with the onion, carrot, celery and swede. Proceed with the remaining recipe as directed.


I sometimes like to add a bit of creamed horseradish to either the topping or the filling depending on how I feel.

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Created using The Recipes Generator
Cottage Pie




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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Lemon Amaretto Cupcakes

Tuesday, 19 January 2021

Lemon Amaretto Cupcakes  

I am sharing a delicious amaretto cupcakes recipe with you today! Not only are they amaretto cupcakes, but  they are lemon amaretto cupcakes, as well as being totally gluten free!

These are fabulous little moist almond cakes, topped with an amaretto syrup drizzle while they are still warm. This syrup soaks into the warm cakes, which are then finished off with a lemon drizzle icing and a smattering of toasted flaked almonds.

Lemon Amaretto Cupcakes 

It is not very often that I have baked a gluten free type of cake recipe which I am totally pleased with. These are an exception.

Normally when I bake gluten free things I end up feeling really happy that I am not gluten intolerant.  I find most baked goods without flour have a wierd consistency and leave a feeling in my mouth that I don't really enjoy.

Lemon Amaretto Cupcakes 

However, if I was gluten intolerant I know I would be most grateful for being able to eat baked goods of any kind! To top it all off, gluten free goodies are also incredibly expensive! 
 
Its a shame really. Its like punishing someone for having a condition they can't help having. Its not like they made themselves gluten intolerate after all.

These cupcakes are beautiful despite being gluten free.  They are moist and delicious with a lovely texture which I really enjoy.  I adapted the recipe from one that I found in a cookbook by Hannah Miles, entitled The Gluten Free Baker.

Lemon Amaretto Cupcakes 

For those of you not familiar with Hannah, she was the first runner-up in the British version of Master-Chef in 2007.  She is a fabulous baker and has written many books on the subject. 

Throughout the competition her cakes were outstanding, along with everything else. I love her vibrant style and have always enjoyed every recipe of hers that I have ever cooked, or baked for that matter.

Lemon Amaretto Cupcakes 

Amaretto is a sweet almond flavoured liqueur.  It comes from Saronno in Italy.  It is created using  apricot kernels, peach stones, bitter almonds or almonds, which are all natural sources of benzaldehyde. It is this which gives it its unique almond flavour.

I don't drink alcohol myself, but I am not adverse to using it in cooking. To that end I always keep an assortment of liqueurs in my larder.  I just buy the small sample sized ones as I never need much more than a few tablespoons of it at a time.

Lemon Amaretto Cupcakes 

If you don't have amaretto you can substitute 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of almond extract for every 2 TBS of amaretto that you need. As you are using it in a syrup I would also add water to make up the amount of amaretto needed. 
 
You will still be able to heat it with the sugar to make a mixture suitable to use in the soaking of the cupcakes, and they will still be very delicious and moist with plenty of almond flavour.

Lemon Amaretto Cupcakes 

Ground almonds are the same thing as almond meal or almond flour. They are all made from ground sweet almonds. Almond flour is usually made from ground blanched almonds, whereas ground almonds may use either blanched or whole almonds. 

Almond flour with be much finer than ground almonds. Amond meal and ground almonds are pretty much the same, having the same consistency which is very similar to cornmeal.  All are used  to create delicious guten free baked goods to help replace some of the flour needed.

Lemon Amaretto Cupcakes 

You will also need a small quantity of gluten free self raising flour for this recipe.  You can use an equivalent amount of self raising flour in its place, but of course then the cupcakes will not be entirely gluten free.
 
It is very easy to make your own self raising flour.  Simply add 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder along with 1/4 tsp of salt to every cup of flour needed.  Early on in the lockdown when flour was very scarce in the UK, I often had to make my own self raising flour.

Lemon Amaretto Cupcakes

The soaking syrup of amaretto makes these cupcakes incredibly moist and flavourfilled.  The lemon drizzle icing helps to seal that flavour in, and of course the toasted flaked almonds help to decorate them beautifully as well as add additional almond flavour.

Altogether whether you bake these as gluten free or with flour, these are delicious little cupcakes.  The recipe only makes six which makes them perfect for the smaller family. They do only keep a few days so you don't really want to be baking more than six anyways.

I have never frozen them so I cannot say for sure whether you can freeze them successfully or not! But really, they are so delicious you shouldn't have them around long enough to want or need to freeze them!

 

Lemon Amaretto Cupcakes

Lemon Amaretto Cupcakes
Yield: 6
Author: Marie Rayner
prep time: 10 Mincook time: 25 Mininactive time: 20 Mintotal time: 55 Min
These fabulous cupcakes are incredibly moist and boast an amaretto syrup drizzle which soaks into the warm cakes with a lush finish of lemon drizzle icing and toasted almonds they spell winner. Gluten free as well.

Ingredients

For the cakes:
  • 1/2 cup (120g) of butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (95g)of caster sugar
  • 2 large free range eggs
  • 1/2 cup (60g) gluten free self raising flour (or 1/2 cup gluten free all purpose baking flour, plus 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/8 tsp xanthan gum)
  • 1/2 cup (60g) ground almonds (almond meal)
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) plain yogurt
  • the finely grated zest of two lemons
For the amaretto drizzle:
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) amaretto
  • 1 TBS caster sugar
  • the juice of one lemon
For the drizzle icing and finish:
  • 1 cup (130g) icing sugar, sifted
  • lemon juice to thin
  • toasted flaked almonds to sprinkle top

Instructions

  1. Grease a six cup muffin tin and line with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Place the muffin tin on a tray.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Whisk together the flour and almonds. Fold this into the creamed mixture along with the yogurt and lemon zest. Divide the cake batter amongst the prepared muffin cups.
  3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cakes are firm to the touch and golden brown.
  4. Whisk together the ingredients for the amaretto drizzle until the sugar is dissolved. Spoon this over the hot cakes, a bit at a time, when they come out of the oven. It will be completely absorbed. Allow them to cool in the pan.
  5. Remove from the pan and place on a wire rack over a sheet of wax paper.
  6. Whisk together the icing sugar and enough lemon juice to make a spoonable drizzle icing.  Spoon this over the top of each cake in an attractive manner and scatter with some flaked toasted almonds while the icing is still wet. Allow to set.
  7. These will keep for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
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Lemon Amaretto Cupcakes

Just look at their beautiful texture.  They don't look any different than a normal cupcake.  Seriously.

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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Sheet Pan Roast Chicken Dinner

Sunday, 17 January 2021

Sheet Pan Roast Chicken Dinner 
 
Sheet Pan Roast Chicken Dinner.  Sheet pan recipes are very popular these days, especially recipes for sheet pan chicken. If you are a person who is cooking only for one or two people, dinner cannot get much easier than this.

Everything roasts on one pan. Your whole dinner. This makes for ease in cooking and an easy clean-up when you are done. Sometimes you just feel lazy. I get it. I feel lazy sometimes too.  You cannot beat this kind of meal for times like that!

Sheet Pan Roast Chicken Dinner 

You may not think it is possible for you to cook your meat, vegetable and potatoes all in the same amoun of time using a sheet pan, but it is ABSOLUTELY possible. 

With this recipe the chicken gets a head start in the oven first and then you add the potatoes and vegetables afterwards.  Everything finishes at the same time. Easy peasy.
Sheet Pan Roast Chicken Dinner   

You can of course use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this and put them into the oven at the same time as the potatoes, etc. They cook a lot faster than bone in/skin on chicken.  

I actually prefer (for roasting) bone in/skin on chicken breast meat. The bone helps keep the breasts moist and tender because it helps distribute heat evenly through the meat. The skin also seals in moisture and juiciness. 
 
This is especially important when you are "roasting." Chicken breast meat drys out quite easily, which is why I prefer it bone in skin on when prepared in this way. 

Sheet Pan Roast Chicken Dinner 

We eat a lot of broccoli in this house. Not only is it considered a "super-food" but it is delicious and lends itself perfectly to roasting in this manner. It also goes exceedingly well with chicken.

Did you know that Broccoli is just as rich in Vitamin C as Orange juice?  Plus it is an excellent source of fibre and other important vitamins, including iron which is so important for our diets, as well as potassium.

Sheet Pan Roast Chicken Dinner

You can use either regular potatoes or sweet potatoes for this dinner. If I am using regular potatoes I try to use a russet or a King Edward/Maris Piper (in the UK).  These are potatoes that are well suited to being roasted.

They have a lovely white flesh with a mealy texture and will not fall apart as easily as some other potatoes. You can keep the skin on if you wish. I normally do because, again  . . . fibre. We all need to have as much fibre in our diets as we can get.  

If you scrub them really well this isn't a problem. I actually love the skin on potatoes. Its one of my favourite parts of the potato and I know I am not alone in this way of thinking.


Sheet Pan Roast Chicken Dinner 

Because bone in chicken takes slightly longer to cook than boneless chicken, I start the chicken off in the oven first.  I create a tasty mix of flavourings that will flavour everything. 

Onion powder, garlic powder and paprika are mixed with a bit of seasalt and freshly ground pepper.  The chicken gets drizzled with a bit of oil and then some of the seasonings get sprinkled over top before you bang it into the oven.

Sheet Pan Roast Chicken Dinner 

The potato and broccoli go into the oven after the chicken has baked for a while. I like to cut the potatoes into chunks that are roughly 1-inch square, and I break the broccoli into large florets. 

 These sizes ensure that both will cook evenly and in about the same amount of time.  You could also use other vegetables if you wanted to.  Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, diced carrot or butternut squash,  turnips, beetroot, all work well.

Sheet Pan Roast Chicken Dinner 

Just bear in mind if you are using harder root vegetables, such as turnips or beetroot, they may take longer to cook. Celeriac, or celery root is also very good as is Kohlrabi.

If you want you can make a mix of vegetables.  Bear in mind that beetroot will bleed its colour into other things.

Sheet Pan Roast Chicken Dinner 

You will also drizzle them with oil and some of the seasonings as well. Interestingly enough, although you might think that broccoli or cauliflower would cook faster than potatoes . . . they don't! 
 
In fact you will find that in roasting them like this, you get a crispy tender finish. If that is not something you really like, then I would blanch them first.

Sheet Pan Roast Chicken Dinner 

You also sprinkle a quantity of finely grated parmesan Cheese over everything. I really love the flavour this gives to the chicken and the vegetables.  Its really quite  nice.

Then again, I love cheese.  I probably eat too much of it, but here it works really well.

Sheet Pan Roast Chicken Dinner

The end result is a delicious Chicken dinner with perfectly cooked, tender and moist chicken with a crisp and flavour-filled skin and perfectly cooked vegetables on the side.  The potatoes have golden brown caramelised edges and the broccoli is wonderfully crispy tender. 

The mix of spices and herbs that you sprinkle over top really compliment everything, so each article although cooked the same and in the same time, come out tasting individually really nice.

I blame the cheese. 😋😋😋
 

Sheet Pan Roast Chicken Dinner

Sheet Pan Roast Chicken Dinner
Yield: 2
Author: Marie Rayner
prep time: 10 Mincook time: 35 Mintotal time: 45 Min
This delicious sheet pan dinner for two is not only incredibly tasty, but quick and easy to make also. You can easily double or triple it to feed more if you wish.

Ingredients

  • 2 bone in, skin on chicken breasts (I use free range, organic corn fed)
  • 1/2 head of cauliflower or a medium broccoli crown
  • 2 russet potatoes
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
  • 2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 2 tsp coarse black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • 2/3 cup (60g) grated Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with baking spray. Mix together the salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders, and paprika.
  2. Place the two pieces of chicken in the middle of the pan. Drizzle with 1/2 TBS of the oil, and 1/3 of the spice mixture.
  3. Place into the preheated oven and roast for 10 minutes.
  4. While the chicken is roasting, cut the potatoes and vegetables into small chunks. Put ito a bowl and toss together with the remaining oil and spice mixture.
  5. Remove the chicken from the oven and spread scatter the vegetables around the chicken on the baking sheet. Scatter the parmesan cheese over all.
  6. Return to the oven and roast for a further 20 to 25 minutes until the potatoes and vegetables are tender and the chicken juices run clear.

notes:

Variations - You can use sweet potatoes cut into chunks instead of the red potatoes, or a mix of both. Use Cauliflower, baby carrots, sliced butternut squash or pumpkin for the vegetables. Or even a mixture. All are very good. (Today I used half a Romanesco Cauliflower)

Did you make this recipe?
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Sheet Pan Roast Chicken Dinner

You could of course make some gravy to spoon over top of this if you really wanted to.  I like it just as it is.  I do like a salad on the side also, but then again, I am a person who love, LOVES salad! 

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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Eggnog Cake

Saturday, 16 January 2021

Eggnog Cake 
Sometime over the Christmas period I purchased a litre of eggnog at the grocery store. I had in mind that I was going to make am Eggnog Cake for us to enjoy. It never got done. 

I kept thinking about making it, but other things kept getting in the way.  Every time I opened the refrigerator I would spy it sitting there and think to myself I must make that cake. Finally I just grabbed the bull by the horns and made it.

Eggnog Cake 
Eggnog was not an ingredient which we had readily available in the UK. You could get it at some American supply companies, but always at a premium price I was not really willing to pay.

I did make it from scratch several times and it was very good.  I used to look at recipes for eggnog cake online and think I wanted to make and would love to make one.  My dream finally came true.

Eggnog Cake 
I do apologize in advance for the poor quality of these photos. I had to take them at night in the kitchen light.  I still think they turned out fairly well irrespective of that fact.   

My photos have never really been the best anyways. I know you will forgive me if these are less than perfect!  Don't let that dissuade you from trying this lovely cake however. You will be missing out on a real gem!

Eggnog Cake 
Its a lovely dense cake, very similar to a pound cake. In fact I took my regular pound cake recipe and substituted eggnog for the cream in the cake. They are about the same consistency.

The eggnog of course has a flavor that isn't there in the cream. So if you are in the UK, you can use cream instead of eggnog and just increase the spices in the cake batter. You will still have a very good cake.

Eggnog Cake 
Use double or heavy cream. It will work beautifully.  But, of course, if you have eggnog, do use that. 

Have you ever wondered why it is that you have to beat your eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy when you are making a cake?  Its very simple really.

Eggnog Cake 
This act of creaming/beating the butter and sugar together actually helps to melt the sugar into the butter.  It helps it to dissolve.  Have you ever noticed a cake come out of the oven looking somewhat "freckly" on the surface?

This happens when the sugar hasn't melted enough into the butter. If you don't really beat them together and give the sugar a chance to dissolve, you end up with granular sugar which leaves darkish freckles/speckles on the surface of the cake.

Eggnog Cake 
Have you ever wondered why it is that you need to beat eggs into a cake one at a time?  There is a very good reason for this action. 

This is to help prevent the butter/sugar mixture from curdling. Adding them slowly and one at a time prevents this from happening. You don't want your cake batter to curdle. A curdled batter produces a cake with an uneven texture.

Eggnog Cake 
This is because the fat hasn't been evenly dispersed throughout the batter. When cake batter is properly emulsified, it traps air into the batter, producing a cake with a lighter, more evenly baked finish.

If your batter starts to curdle when you are beating in the eggs, this can be rectified by beating in a tablespoonful of the flour required for the cake, just until the batter emulsifies again. Generally speaking this will correct it.

Eggnog Cake 
For better cakes it is also better if you can have everything at room temperature. I know we are often in a hurry and don't want to wait for this to happen, but if you know you are going to be baking a cake today, it is quite easy to take the refrigerated ingredients out of the fridge and leave them on the counter for about an hour before you start.

These simple steps  taken always result in a cake with a better texture and finish. 

Eggnog Cake 
I have seen quite a few eggnog cake recipes out there that require the use of a cake mix. I am sure they are very good.  I didn't want to use a cake mix. I really wanted to make a from scratch cake.  

Over in the UK, especially when I first moved over there, cake mixes were not readily available. Even when they became more available they were not really available in many different flavors.

Eggnog Cake 
I know that cake mixes are really very convenient to  use, and doctored up cake mix cakes can be very nice.  Chocolate pound cake for instance, which uses a cake mix and a packet of chocolate pudding mix, is dense and delicious.

Generally speaking however, I prefer to make my cakes from scratch. That way I know how fresh my baking powder is and, well, I just like the finished product better. To me they just taste, feel and look better.

Eggnog Cake

I don't think my grandmother ever used a cake mix in her life. If it was good enough for Grandma, its good enough for me.  In any case I hope you will give this cake a go, even if it is well past Christmas, and if you want to wait until next Christmas then I hope you will try it then.

I think you will be very happy with the end results.  My sister, who doesn't generally tend to eat a lot when it comes to sweet things, has really enjoyed this cake. That makes me very happy. And like I said, if you don't have any eggnog, you can use cream in its place or even undiluted evaporated milk. Just amp up the cinnamon and eggnog.

You will still have a very delicious, beautiful cake that the whole family will enjoy! 

 

Eggnog Bundt Cake

Eggnog Bundt Cake
Yield: 8-10
Author: Marie Rayner
prep time: 10 Mincook time: 45 Mininactive time: 10 Mintotal time: 1 H & 4 M
This wonderfully flavoured cake is dense like a pound cake and incredibly moist. i thought it was quite delicious and a great way to use up some eggnog we had in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

For the cake:
  • 1/2 cup (120g) butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup (190g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large free range eggs
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla
  • 1/4 sp salt
  • 2 cups (280g) all purpose flour
  • 4 tsp. Baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup (240ml) full fat eggnog
For the glaze:
  • 1 cup (130g) icing sugar, sifted
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
  • milk to thin

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Butter a medium sized bundt pan and dust with flour, shaking out any excess flour.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Beat in the vanilla and then beat in the eggs, one at a time.
  3. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and ground nutmeg.  Add to the creamed mixture in thirds, alternating with the eggnog. Mix together until well combined and the pour into the prepared bundt pan.
  4. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean and the top spings back when lightly touched.
  5. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes then tip out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
  6. To make the glaze, whisk together all of the ingredients only adding enough milk to give you an icing thin/thick enough to drizzle decoratively over the cake. Allow to set.
  7. Cut into wedges to serve.
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Eggnog Cake

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Welcome, I'm Marie

Welcome, I'm Marie
Canadian lover of all things British. I cook every day and like to share it with you!
A third of my life was spent living in the UK. I learned to love the people, the country and the cuisine. I have always been an Anglophile. You will find plenty of traditional British recipes here in my English Kitchen. There are lots of North American recipes also, but then again, I am a Canadian by birth. I like to think of my page as a happy mix of both. If you are looking for something and cannot find it, don't be afraid to ask! I am always happy to help and point you in the right direction, even if it exists on another page, or in one of my many cookbooks.

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