Happy New Year

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day".

I wish you a very happy and peaceful new year.

Gertie xx

Seasons greetings

Here's wishing you a very merry Christmas.

Gertie xx

November's bake of the month

My nemesis in the baking world seems to be cherries. No matter how many tips and hints I follow to stop them from sinking to the bottom of the cake, the little devils always do!!!!

One of my motto's is 'I'll never be beaten' so the kitchen was prepared for yet another cherry v Gertie showdown...

Rather than attempt the usual cherry cake recipe I decide to add another player in the ring – a layer of marzipan. I was hoping the marzipan would be a good ally by forming a protective layer to stop the cherries from all sinking to the bottom.

On the other hand my plan could backfire. The cherries could simply do what they usually do, but this time twice in one go to add insult to injury.

What was the result – you'll have to wait until the end of the blog to find out.

Let the battle begin !!!!!!!

Cherry marzipan cake  

(adapted from a Good Food recipe)

Ingredients:

• 8oz (200g) butter/margarine, softened
• 8oz (200g) caster sugar
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 8oz (200g) self-raising flour, sieved
• 8oz (200g) glacé cherries, chopped
• 4oz (100g) ground almonds
• 9oz (250g) marzipan – doesn't matter if it's golden or white
• 2oz blanched almonds, cut into half lengthways
• Icing sugar, optional

Method:

• Preheat oven to 160ºc/Gas Mk 4. Fan oven 140ºc.
• Line a deep 8 inch/20cm round cake tin with baking parchment or a cake liner. Using greaseproof paper or baking parchment, make a 7 ½ inch/ 19cm round circle template. Put to one side for now.
• Beat the butter/margarine together until light and creamy.
• Gradually add in the eggs and flour, a little of each at a time, beating well before adding any more. Incorporating the small amounts of the eggs and flour together should stop the mix from curdling.
• Fold in the cherries and ground almonds until they are evenly incorporated.
• Spoon half of the mix into the tin.
• Roll out the marzipan then cut out a 7 ½ inch round circle using the template you made earlier.
• Gently lay the marzipan circle on top of the cake mix already in the tin, then add the rest of the cake batter, leavening the top of the cake with the back of a spoon.
• Finally scatter the almonds evenly on top of the cake.
• Bake in the oven for 1 ½ hours, or until a skewer (I use a piece of spaghetti but you could use a clean knitting needle or cocktail stick) comes out clean. To stop the top of the cake from burning cover it with tin foil after 1 hour.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
• You can dust the cake with icing sugar if you wish.

Gertie

** Did I finally claim victory over the cherries or was it business as usual. Long silence to add to the dramatic effect.... 

I won !!!!

October’s bake of the month

The Christmas pudding, or plum pudding as it’s sometimes called, has a history dating back to Medieval England.

The pudding would be made on the 25th Sunday after Trinity; it would contain 13 ingredients to represent Christ and his 12 disciples and every family member would give it a stir from east to west to honour the Magi (the Three Wise Men) on their journey. 

Unlike the Christmas pudding we know today it was actually a savoury meat dish with consistency similar to porriage. By the 14th century citrus fruit and exotic spices had started to be added, and by the end of the 16th century the addition of eggs, breadcrumbs and dried fruit made it more in keeping with what we know of today.

Contrary to its name, the pudding has never had plums in it. In Victorian times dried fruit, such as raisins and currants, were called plums, which was why it was called ‘plum pudding’.

Christmas pudding is traditionally made on ‘stir-up Sunday’, the last Sunday in November. Each family member would gather round take it in turn to give the pudding a stir then make a wish.

I’d always wanted to make a Christmas pudding but steaming it for hours and hours then doing the same thing on Christmas day kept putting me off. Shortly after buying ‘Captain Slow’ (our slow cooker. Yes I know we’re terribly sad at giving things names....) I came across a recipe in a slow cooker cook book for a Christmas pudding. There was no stopping me now !!!!!

Christmas pudding 

(adapted from a Delia recipe)

Ingredients:

• 4oz (110g) shredded suet
• 2oz (50g) self-raising flour
• 4oz (110g) white bread crumbs (roughly three slices of bread)
• 1 level tsp ground mixed spice
• ¼ tsp nutmeg (either freshly grated or dried)
• A pinch of ground cinnamon
• 8oz (225g) soft dark brown sugar
• 4oz (110g) sultanas
• 4oz (110g) raisins
• 10oz (275g) currants
• 1oz (25g) mixed chopped peel
• 1oz (25g) almonds, chopped
• 1 small cooing apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
• Grated rind of ½ large orange and ½ large lemon or 1 small lemon
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp brandy or rum
• 5fl oz (150ml) stout or dark ale – not beer as it’s too bitter

Method:

• Lightly grease a 2 pint (1.2 litre) pudding basin.
• Pre-heat the slow cook on high for about 20 minutes.
• The day before you want to make the pudding take a large mixing bowl and add the suet, breadcrumbs and sugar. Sift in the flour and spices then mix everything together thoroughly.
• Gradually add the grated orange and lemon zests and apple.
• Break the eggs into a small bowl then add the rum/brandy and stout/dark ale. Beat everything together thoroughly.
• Pour the egg liquid over the other ingredients and thoroughly mix together. Now is the traditionally time for everyone to have their turn at mixing the pudding and making a wish – but don’t tell anyone your wish or it won’t come true.....
• The mixture should be a rather sloppy consistence - it should instantly fall off the spoon when it’s tapped on the side of the bowl. Add a little more stout/dark ale if necessary.
• Cover the bowl with a tea-towel and leave overnight.
• The next day pour the mixture into the greased pudding basin. Cover with a double sheet of greaseproof paper and a sheet of foil then tie securely with string.
• Have the basin standing by the slow cooker as you wait for the kettle to heat up. Once the kettle has boiled put it next to the basin. You need to have everything ready on hand so not to lose too much of the cookers heat once the lid is removed.
• Place the basin into the centre of the cooker and add the boiling water to about ¾ of the way up the basin. Don’t let the water touch any overhanging greaseproof paper as it may seep into the pudding. Quickly replace the lid.
• Leave it to cook on high for about 10 hours, checking on it every now and then to see if it needs the water topping up, and if so, fill it back up with boiling water.
• Once the pudding is cooked, allow it to go cold then replace the greaseproof paper and foil for fresh pieces. Store it in a dark, cool place until the big day.
• To re-heat it on Christmas day repeat the cooking instructions (eg pre-heat the cooker etc) and cook on high for four hours. Serve with brandy/rum sauce or custard.

Tips:

• I find it best to chop the apples last so not to let them go brown. You could also pour a little lemon juice over them as the lemon stops them from discolouring.
• If you like your pudding a little more alcoholic then substitute some of the stout/dark ale for brandy or rum. Not all of it though as you don’t want it 100% proof!!!!
• As there’s such a lot of ingredients I find it best to tick off each one off as I’m weighing them out, and also as I’m adding them to the mix, so nothing gets forgotten about.
• Make a handle with the string to help lift the basin out (the internet will show you how to do this. I’m hopeless at tying knots – mine always come loose – so I just use oven gloves....).
• Any leftovers can be re-heat on Boxing day in the microwave or how about making some Christmas pudding ice-cream. Yum, yum !!!!

September’s bake of the month

I thought I’d give you something slightly different this month. Whenever we have a party or go to friends parties we have to provide this.

It only has three ingredients so is very easy to put together. They’re incredibly sticky and moreish that one is simply not enough...

I don’t think I’ve met anyone who doesn’t like them – well, maybe a vegetarian!!

Sticky Sausages

Ingredients:

• 2lb cocktail sausages – frozen ones are ideal.
• 3 tablespoons of runny honey
• 5 tablespoons of hoisin sauce

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 200º c/Gas Mk 6. Fan oven 180ºc.
• Combine everything into a bowl or large sealable freezer bag and leave to marinate for a couple of hours or overnight in the fridge.
• Remove the marinated sausages from the fridge half an hour before you intend to cook it to allow it to get to room temperature.
• Put the sausages onto a roasting tin which has been lined with a double layer of foil (or use a disposable foil roasting tin) and cook for 35 – 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Allow to cool slightly before you try to eat them as they will be very hot !!!!

August's bake of the month

Rock buns, or rock cakes depending on which part of the UK you come from (for me they’re buns....), are similar to a fruit scone.

Whilst they won’t win any baking beauty contests, they are wonderfully crumbly and so delicious eaten still warm.

They are perfect for introducing children to baking as they’re very easy to make. Similarly they’re ideal if your other half decides he wants to help you in the kitchen!!!

Rock buns

Ingredients:

• 8oz / 225g self-raising flour
• 4oz / 100g margarine or butter (cut into cubes if using block margarine or butter)
• 2oz / 50g granulated sugar
• 4oz / 100g dried fruit (sultanas/raisins or a combination of both)
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon of milk
• 1oz / 25g demerara sugar

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 200º c/Gas Mk 6. Fan oven 180ºc
• Line two baking trays/sheets with baking parchment or non-stick liners.
• Add the flour and margarine/butter into a bowl and rub together (just like making pastry) until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Next add in the granulated sugar and dried fruit. Stir in the beaten egg and mix until it forms a firm dough. If the mix is too dry add a little more milk.
• Divide the dough into 12 blobs then place on the baking trays/sheets. Make sure to leave plenty room between each one as they will spread during cooking.
• Sprinkle the demerara sugar over the blobs then bake in the oven for about 15/20 minutes until golden brown.
• Allow to cool on the trays/sheets for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

For something slightly different why not try making rock bars.

• Instead of dividing into 12 blobs, line a brownie or tray bake tin (approx 11 x 7 x1inch/ 28 x 18 x2.5cm in size) with baking parchment.
• Put the mixture into the tin, pressing it into the corners and levelling it off with the back of a spoon.
• Sprinkle over the demerara sugar then cut into 12 bars. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
• Allow to cool before removing the bars from the tin.

If like me you find it difficult getting things out of the tin here’s a great little tip:
Take two wire racks and place the first one over the tin. Flip the rack and tin over so the tin is now upside down.
Carefully remove the tin then place the second wire rack on top of the bar to create a sandwich effect.
Gently grip the two wire racks (too much force will squash and break the bars) then turn the racks over.

July's bake of the month

I have fond memories of this tart. It was a family favourite but would only be made either at Christmas or Easter as it was deemed too special for any other occasion.

I’ve no idea where the recipe came from as it was scribbled on the back page of one of my mam’s old recipe books.

It’s similar to a cheesecake though as the title suggests it’s chilled instead of baked.

In the original recipe it had a ginger biscuit base. Mr Gertie isn’t a fan of ginger so I substitute the ginger biscuits for digestives. I’ve included both in the recipe so you can make it whichever way you prefer.

Unfortunately I don’t have any photos of it to show you so you’re going to have to trust me. However I promise you it is truly delicious and as the saying goes the proof of the pudding is in the eating....

Chilled lemon tart

Ingredients

• 3oz / 75g margarine or butter
• 8oz / 225g ginger or digestive biscuits
• ½ pint of double cream
• Large tin of condensed milk (218g)
• Grated rind and juice of 3 large lemons

Method

• Using either a food processor or a large freezer bag and a rolling pin crush the biscuits until they resemble fine crumbs.
• Melt the margarine/butter in a saucepan or microwave then stir in the crushed biscuits.
• Press the biscuit mix into the base of an 8inch/20cm loose-bottomed tin. Chill for ½ hour. If you don’t have a loose-bottomed tin, line the tin with baking parchment, allowing an overlap over the side of the tin so you can pull the tart out when it’s set.
• Whisk the condensed milk and cream with the juice and rind of the lemons until thick. If you have an electric whisk it will only take a couple of minutes.
• Carefully spoon over the biscuit base then chill for at least four hours.

 

This tart recipe is so versatile: 

Instead of one big tart simply spoon the biscuit mix into six or eight individual glass dishes then top with the lemon mix.

You can also make a chilled lime tart by replacing the lemons with four limes.

How about a chocolate lime tart? Mix 1 oz / 25g of cocoa powder to crushed digestive biscuits then decorate the top of the lime tart with grated chocolate.