Festive puds

My favourite festive puds
A friend just asked me for some recipes for festive puddings which weren't Christmas cake, Christmas pudding or cranberry based. Hmm.... a challenge!

Having 'mulled' it over (I'm not going to spare you the puns so stop reading if you can't handle it) - I came up with the following:

Rice pudding with apple compote

I had some really nice rice pudding with spiced apple compote at the weekend from Anna Mae's - it can be quite Christmassy with the right spices: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/bakedricepuddingwith_78627

Dark chocolate raspberry banana bread - Sally's baking addiction
I really like this blog for recipes (although it's American so some of the ingredients seem a bit odd). The raspberry and chocolate banana bread is a fail-safe http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/06/06/dark-chocolate-raspberry-banana-bread/ 

Baked Vanilla Cheesecake

A baked cheesecake is always a winner too (you don't have to bother with the fancy toppings, the basic vanilla cheesecake is lovely on it's own as long as you use real vanilla pods) http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/vanilla_baked_cheesecake_59336

Bashing out bagels

Having finally mastered bread, I got a bit lazy and sat on my laurels enjoying loafs and rolls and not bothering to branch out for a bit. Until, that is, the Great British Bake Off graced our screens for the third series and I was abruptly snapped out of my reverie and reminded that there's a whole world of bread-related goods out there. One of the contestants is actually trying to make this whole world of breads it seems - Brendan to win!

Suitably chastised, I took some inspiration from episode 2 and had a bash at bagels. I didn't use their recipe, as I wanted to start off with some plainer varieties than the ones shared on the Bake Off website. Instead, I found this BBC Good Food recipe which is really straight forward and gave me splendid results (if I do say so myself).

You'll need to be vaguely familiar with bread making, and confident in your kneading technique as you need a rise from the dough to get the right texture. But if you are a relative novice  it's still worth giving them a go. What's the worst that can happen (seriously - if you mess these up I want to see pictures).

I prepared the dough, whacked it in the airing cupboard while I went to the gym for an hour then came back, shaped, steamed and baked them in about 40 minutes.

Plugging for plain bagels with fennel seeds sprinkled on the top, as well as some cinnamon and raisin ones I was pleasantly surprised by the taste and texture. The shape was definitely a bit 'rustic' but I reckon that's the best way (or you might as well get them from the shop...).

Having mastered bagels I now feel I can rightfully claim myself as a 'proper' east ender. If you don't know why, watch the 'short history of bagels' bit 45 minutes into episode 2.

Recipe - Rhubarb upside down cake

Rhubarb's just about in season now and I got hold of some at my local supermarket. For me rhubarb spells summer, so I thought I better find a way to make it a but more suitable to the soggy weather we're having. Result? Rhubarb upside down cake - from this recipe:

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/rhubarb-upside-down-cake-ghk

The recipe's American so they use cups, which I have, but it should be easy enough to convert. According to Wikipedia, 1 cup = 250 millilitres.  Nothing like some mathematical wrangling to keep you on your toes...

The sponge is vanilla and coupled with the tartness of the rhubarb it's a really tasty summer pudding. We had it with custard. Yum.

A recipe for... bread

I’ve always been very nervous about bread-making. Cakes? Yes. Muffins? No problem. Bread? Much too scary. However, I recently went to a friend’s for dinner and was more than a little impressed when she whipped out a homemade loaf in that Blue Peter, ‘and here’s one I made earlier’ fashion.

Asking what her secret was, my friend (quite rightly) had no shame in admitting that she uses a supermarket bought bread mix and the bread hook attachments on her food mixer to ensure a reliable result every time. The different varieties of bread mix on offer these days and the simple method of ‘just add water’ means there’s no excuse for not giving it a go. So I did.

Opting for Wright’s mixed grain bread mix I spent a very pleasant afternoon mixing, kneading and waiting for the bread to prove and then bake. The process was more labour intensive than cake making, even with the readymade bread mix, but the results were stunning (see image above) and we literally polished off half the loaf within an hour of it coming out the oven.

So, part one of bread-gate over, I felt I had proved to myself than I wasn’t a completely useless baker. However, I am one of those people that find it hard to stop at the halfway point. Initial success is often enough to spur me on to more and more ambitious projects which most often do not end well....

However, in this case I surprised myself. I already had some strong bread flour left over from recent pizza making and topped it up with some plain flour to form the basis of my first loaf from scratch. This is how it went (recipe based on one from The River Cottage Family Cookbook):

200g strong wholemeal flour
300g plain flour
Salt, 2 teaspoons
Fast action yeast, 1 sachet
Olive oil, 2 tablespoons
Honey, 2 teaspoons
Warm water, 300ml

1.    Mix the flour salt and yeast together in a big mixing bowl
Pour the oil and honey into a measuring jug and top up with warm water from the hot tap up to 300ml, stir together
Pour the water mix into the flour a bit at a time mixing it together with one hand as you go
Keep going until all the water is in the bowl and the dough has come together (add extra water if too dry and extra flour if too wet/sticky)

2.    Flour a work surface and knead the dough on it by pushing down and away from you – you need to squash it and stretch it at the same time – for about 10 mins or until it feels smooth
Shape the dough into a ball, put it back in the bowl and cover with cling film. Put it somewhere warm and sheltered from drafts.

3.    Leave until doubled in size – 40 mins to an hour, grease a loaf tin while you’re waiting then have a bath, or read your book, or make some muffins to pre-heat the oven

4.    Take your dough out of it’s warm hidey-hole and squish the air out of it with your fist
Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for 30 secs then shape it into a sausage and place in your loaf tin

5.    Leave to rise in your warm place again with a tea towel over for 30 mins (eat a muffin and have a cup of tea) Pre heat your oven to its highest temperature

6.    After 30 mins the dough should have risen and look more loaf shaped, put it in the oven at top temperature for 20 mins then take it out, tip it out of the tin and tap the bottom. It’s cooked if it sounds hollow.
Cool on a cooling rack for 20 mins and then have a slice with some butter on while it’s still warm. Try not to eat the whole loaf at once.

Wedding tart

It’s come to that time in my life when people I know are pairing off and inevitably getting married. The first of my school friends tied the knot this weekend in a beautiful ceremony in the Essex countryside. It rained all morning but the sun came out just as the ceremony ended in some kind of biblical symbol of approval.

Although the prospect of going to several weddings every summer for the next decade does somewhat fill me with dread, I’m happy to report that this weekend’s wedding was good fun. A lot of our friends chipped in with the preparations by making bunting, playing music or baking and the day felt like a real joint effort – although full credit must go to the bride who’s impeccable taste meant that we were surrounded by beautiful things all day long.

One of the unique touches at the wedding was the wedding cake, or cakes. As the bride doesn’t like traditional fruit cake she went for a more unconventional approach and enlisted friends and family to make different cakes so that there would be something for everyone. The result was spectacular. Eight different cakes layered up on stands and surrounded by meadow flowers, the display was mouth watering.

When asked to contribute, I decided to go for a tart rather than a cake as I know many a fella who prefers a pastry-based baked good over a sponge. Going for something tried and tested rather than taking a risk, I went for Jamie Oliver’s Jethro Tart from his cookbook ‘Happy days with the naked chef’. The recipe usually uses pinenuts rather than pecans, but our local Tesco didn’t have any so I adapted the recipe and was very happy with the result:




 Sweet pastry

115gr/4oz butter
100gr/3 1/2oz icing sugar
a pinch of salt
225gr/8oz plain flour
2 egg yolks

I find pastry works best if you make it in a food processor as it doesn’t get to hot from your hands. Cream together the butter, sugar and salt then pulse in the flour and egg yolks.  When the mixture has come together, looking like coarse breadcrumbs gently pat together to form a small ball of dough, adding a little milk or water if it’s too dry.  Wrap with cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for an hour.

Once the pastry has rested, cut thin slices and place in and around the bottom and sides of your 30cm/12 inch tin, squidging it together to cover the base and sides. Leave to rest in the freezer for about 1 hour.

Tart filling

250gr/9oz pecans
255gr/9oz butter
255gr/9oz caster sugar
3 large eggs
4 tablespoons honey
115gr/4oz plain flour
a pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 180C/350F/gas 4, and bake the frozen pastry for around 15 minutes until lightly golden.  Reduce the oven temperature to 170C/320F.gas 3.

While the pastry is in the oven, whip the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Stir in the pecans, add the eggs one at a time, then fold in the honey, flour and salt.  Spoon into the tart shell and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Recipe: Breakfast stack

My boyfriend and I came across this recipe for potato cakes with wilted spinach, smoked salmon and poached egg countless times when living in Melbourne. Since coming home we’ve created our own version which we eat for brunch on lazy Sunday mornings (alright, maybe not mornings, but you get the idea).

Ingredients (serves 2):

Two small potatoes
Knob of butter
Splash of olive oil
Plain flour for dusting
Two eggs
White vinegar
Fresh spinach
Salt & Pepper
Tomato chutney to serve

 Method:

1.       Put a large pan of water on the hob to boil. You can use this pan later to poach the eggs.

2.       Peel the potatoes and cut them into small chunks. Put them in the pan of water once it’s come to the boil and cook for 8 - 10 minutes.

3.       Drain the potatoes, add the knob of butter, salt and pepper, and mash thoroughly until they come together in the pan.

4.       Pre heat a large frying pan on a medium heat with a splash of oil (about a teaspoon).

5.       Divide the mash into two halves and form into a patty/burger shape with your (clean) hands.

6.       Dust the potato patties in the flour, this ensures a crispy crust to your potato cake.

7.       Put the dusted potato cakes into the pan and cook for approx 4-5 minutes each side. Be careful not to rip off the crispy outside when turning them halfway.

8.       Meanwhile, rinse the pan you used to cook the potatoes and fill with fresh boiling water. Return to the heat and bring to a gentle simmer with a steady stream of bubbles rising from the bottom of the pan.  Begin your first poached egg at the point that you turn the potato cakes over.

9.       Add a glug of vinegar to the simmering water (approx 2 tablespoons), stir the water into a whirlpool and gently break the first egg into its centre. The eggs take 3-4 minutes each – it’s best to do them one at a time so that they don’t bump into each other in the water.

10.   Whilst the poached eggs are cooking, rest a colander over the pan to act as a steamer for your spinach. Add the spinach and leave over the simmering water until wilted.

11.   Remove your first poached egg after 4-5 minutes and repeat the process for the second .

12.   Layer up the potato cake, spinach, salmon and poached egg on plates. We like to put a cut into the egg so that it oozes down the stack, sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve with tomato chutney. You can also serve with hollandaise sauce or a wedge of lemon.

Photography by Gareth Reid - http://www.flickr.com/photos/garethreid/

A Valentine's recipe for coconut cake-bread

I found this recipe in David Herbert’s ‘Really useful cookbook’ but thought I’d pimp it a bit for Valentine’s Day (and also because I didn’t have all the recommended ingredients).

Ingredients:
350g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
250g caster sugar
100g desiccated coconut
50g ground almonds
300ml milk soured with lime juice
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
75g unsalted butter

Method:
1.    Pre-heat oven to Gas Mark 4 and line a loaf tin with baking paper
2.    Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl
3.    Whisk the eggs, milk, lime, vanilla extract and melted butter in a jug
4.    Pour the wet ingredients into a well in the centre of the dry ingredients
5.    Mix gently until just combined – don’t over mix
6.    Pour into your loaf tin and bake in the centre of your preheated oven for about an hour.

Tip: Check the cake after 40 minutes and cover with tin foil if the top is already browned.

Icing:
Combine 2 parts cream cheese with 1 part icing sugar and 1 part sunflower spread in a bowl – missing with an electric hand whisk over a bowl of cold water helps with the consistency. Add some desiccated coconut and a squeeze of lime juice to compliment the flavours in the cake.

A recipe for breakfast muffins

Carrot breakfast muffins

These breakfast muffins are really quick, easy, healthy and hearty. I’ve adapted the recipe over the last few years from one originally found in a magazine and discovered it copes really well with different fruit and vegetables, though carrot, berries and apple work best.

They’re great for breakfast in the week when you’re in a rush so I often whip up a batch over the weekend – why not give them a go!

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

Serves: 18 cupcake size/ 12 muffin size

Oven temp: gas mark 6

Ingredients:

100g wholemeal self-raising flour
100g porridge oats
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
150ml vegetable oil (I use rice bran oil)
Zest and juice of 1 orange

3 medium eggs
200g soft brown sugar
200g fruit/veg

Method:

1. Pre heat oven to gas mark 6, put cupcake/muffin cases or baking paper into trays
2. Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices into a bowl
3. Stir in the oats
4. Combine oil, orange juice and zest, eggs and sugar in a jug
5. Add wet mix to dry ingredients and mix until combined
6. Gently stir in the fruit or veg – do not over-mix
7. Spoon into the cases and bake for 15 minutes

Cream-cheese icing

This icing works really well on all sorts of fruit-based baked goods. Try it on these muffins, carrot cake or banana bread. I usually sprinkle some poppy seeds over the icing to give it that extra visual flourish.

Ingredients:

150g cream cheese
25g olive oil spread
25-50g icing sugar to taste
lemon juice

Method:

Combine ingredients in a bowl adding icing sugar and lemon juice to taste (add more sugar to combat the cheesiness and then more lemon to combat the sweetness). To get it to a good consistency for icing either leave in the fridge for a few hours or whisk the icing in a bowl over some iced water (an electric hand whisk works best for this).