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Date Cake

Feb 062010

This is a recipe that brings many of my childhood memories. Helping my Mom to make this cake, the first task I was allowed to do was to take the stones out of the dates and then onto chopping with my Mom overseeing. It is such a simple recipe, that was then and still is now, a great one for beginners to start with. So if you feel you can’t bake a cake this one will prove you can!

You will need the following

1 tablespoon Butter
1/2 teaspoon of Vanilla Essence
1 teaspoon of Bicarbonate Soda
1 cup Boiling water
1 1/2 cups Self Raising Flour
1/4 lb Dates or a mix of Dates and Sultanas
1 Egg
3/4 cup Sugar
A dash of warm milk

Set the oven to 180C, 350F or Gas Mark 4
Butter and flour a 1lb Loaf tin
Take the stones out of the dates and chop
Pour boiling water in a dish and add the butter and dates
Add the Bicarbonate Soda
Add the egg
Add the rest of the ingredients
Mix well and pour into the loaf tin
Bake for about 45 minutes
Turn out onto a wire tray to cool.
Serve sliced spread with butter as my Mom always has.

Dorset Apple Cake

Apple, Recipes, Sweet 1 Response »

Nov 272009

applecake

Looking for a good recipe for apple cake and found this one, I have made it quite a few times now and it’s always successful. It’s simple to make and quick too. The apple and lemon taste lovely and it makes a really good ‘cut and come again’ cake.

When I make this cake I double the quantities in the hope it will last a little longer, you can do the same you just have to adjust the length cooking time but the recipe below is for the original amounts.

To make you need the following:

7oz Self raising Flour
1 teaspoon of Baking Power
1oz Cornflour
4oz Butter
4oz Golden Caster Sugar
1/2 lb Cooking Apples (peeled and diced)
1 Lemon (the zest of)
1 Egg (large)
1 tablespoon Milk
2 oz Sultanas (optional)
1 Cooking Apple (peeled and finely sliced), Fresh Lemon Juice, Soft Brown Sugar – This go on top of the cake to finish off

Line and grease an 8 inch round cake tin

Pre heat oven to Gas Mark 5, 190C, 375F

Sift the flour, cornflour and baking powder together in a mixing bowl

Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the flour mix then rub in until it looks like fine bread crumbs

Stir in the sugar, diced apple, lemon zest and if using the sultanas

Add the egg and milk to the mix and bind together

Add to the baking tin and level the top

Place the slice apple in lemon juice and place on top of the cake, now add the brown sugar

Cook for about 30 – 40 minutes checking with a scewer. It is done when the scewer comes out clean of cake mix.

Medlar Cheese

Recipes, Sweet No Responses »

Nov 262009

Medlars are a very old fashioned fruit that is not often used nowadays. It has been used in English kitchens since the 16th century but now is hardly known. Its origins are in eurasia but even there, it is now rare.

The fruit of the medlar has to be ‘bletted‘ (or left to soften) and the art is to catch it before it goes to far. In the picture these are just on the cusp of being ready to use.

Medlars

My first attempt at using this fruit was to make Medlar Cheese. This old recipe I used is from Theodore Garrett, The Encyclopaedia of Practical Cookery found at http://www.historicfood.com/medlar%20cheese%20recipe.htm and it worked really well, so many thanks to the folk at historic foods. The process of cooking the fruit in a water bath was simple, just simmer and now and then stir until it has softened. Once done, I pushed the fruit through a wire sieve. Then added the sugar and ground allspice. It is then cooked in a pan until you can leave a clean trial with a wooden spoon through the mixture. The resulting ‘cheese’ set well and tastes initially like mildly spiced apples and custard but it lingers on and becomes more complex and interesting. It was eaten as a sweetmeat, and also served with cold meats or game, for me a good strong cheddar at Christmas.

To make Medlar Cheese you need the following:

1 lb Medlar puree
1 1/2 American cups of Granulated Sugar
1/2 teaspoon of Allspice

I use small pudding moulds brushed with nut oil and then filled with the cheese and sealed with wax to keep the air out.

Moulded Medlar Cheese

Pear and Ginger Muffins

Recipes, Sweet No Responses »

Nov 132009

Pear and Ginger Nov. 2009 003 This is one way to use the pear and ginger from a batch of non setting jam but you could also use the same weight in any other fruit mix that you like. Apple would be good as would blueberries, raspberries. I would use the lower end of the fruit quantity with berries as they have a more intense flavour.

You will need the fol owing:

12 Muffin paper cases to line the muffin tray
2 Fresh Eggs medium size
240ml Milk
120ml Oil, any light vegetable or nut
200g Sugar
375g Plain Flour
4 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
175 to 250g Pear and Ginger or any other fruit or berries.

Heat the oven to 200c, gas 6, 400F

Add eggs, oil, milk and sugar and mix lightly

In a different bowl add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix lightly

Add the flour to the wet ingredients and stir through

Add the pear and ginger or the fruit you are using

Line the muffin tray with the paper cases

Add the mixture to the cases (if you are using the maximum amount of fruit then you will have enough for 13/14 muffins).

Bake for 25 minutes

or if you are in a rush and don’t mind the pale look a minute per muffin in the microwave oven. Mine microwave is an 850watt.

Pear and Ginger Jam

Recipes, Sweet 2 Responses »

Nov 132009

I have been experimenting with this for a couple of seasons now and found it works best with Conference pears here in England, it might be different in other parts of the world.

It has to be said that I have had mixed results with this recipe due to the differences in the volume of juice. I prefer to use pears that are ripe and have the most flavour but it does make them all the more juicy, but even if it doesn’t set to well I have always found uses for the end product.

I have used this non setting end product as a topping for ice-cream or yogurt. Yesterday using up the last of a batch of non setting, I strained the fruit and ginger and this went into Pear and Ginger Muffins (which I have to say were delicious) and saved the syrup to go on to my porridge oats in the morning.

This jam has become a firm favourite with friends and family so I hope you like it to.

The ingredients are as follows:

2lbs Washed, peeled, cored and chopped Conference pears
4 – 6 oz Crystallized ginger
1 – 2 oz Fresh ginger peeled, grated and the juice squeezed through some muslin or strong kitchen paper
2lbs Sugar
2 Lemons juiced (use just the juice)

Heat all the ingredients together until the sugar has dissolved

Bring to the boil (110c) and continue at a rolling boiling until setting point is reached. This can be checked by the cold plate test, put a teaspoon of jam on the plate and let it cool, if it wrinkles when you push your finger against it, it is at setting point.

Bottle in clean and sterile jars.

Label and date.

Pear and Ginger Nov. 2009 005

Red Current Jelly

Recipes, Sweet, Uncategorized No Responses »

Jun 222009

summer-garden

The two red current bushes planted in 2007 have produced some currents, not many, about a pound or so but I wanted make some jelly and save it for the winter.

This jelly is ideal for serving with lamb or venison, but as I don’t eat meat it’s just fine for me on scones with lashings of cream or just with some fresh bread and butter.

I love the beautiful jewel like colour of the jelly and hoped to make the very best of the flavour so the recipe I choose is loosely based on one I found in Elizabeth David Classics by Dorothy Hartley.

The fruit should be ripe and at its very best.
Wash and strip the currents although stripping is not a necessity.
Place in a casserole dish set in a water bath in a slow oven until the juice runs freely.
Strain through a jelly cloth or muslin
Add equal amounts of sugar

Bring to the boil (110c) and continue at a rolling boiling until setting point is reached. This can be checked by the cold plate test, put a teaspoon of jelly on the plate and let it cool, if it wrinkles when you push your finger against it, it is at setting point.

Bottle in clean and sterile jars.

Label and date.

Lemon and Elderflower Marmalade

Recipes, Sweet 9 Responses »

Jun 072009

summer-garden-051

To make this marmalade you first need to make the elderflower cordial, I have invented this recipe to use up the lemons that are so wonderfully flavoured with the elder flowers, it seems such a waste to bin them when they can be made into this delicious marmalade.

I make it by covering the lemons in a half water and half elderflower cordial and cook until they are tender and slightly caramelized.
Now weigh them and add the same weight in sugar

Bring to the boil (110c) and continue at a rolling boiling until setting point is reached. This can be checked by the cold plate test, put a teaspoon of marmalade on the plate and let it cool, if it wrinkles when you push your finger against it, it is at setting point.

Bottle in clean and sterile jars.

Label and date.

Cornish Fairings (Spiced biscuits)

Recipes, Sweet 2 Responses »

Mar 172009

Today I made some biscuits, the biscuits I chose are a spiced, crunchy and are fab with a cup of coffee. There are none of my homegrown ingredients in these moreish biscuits but there are always ‘exceptions’ to the rule.

They are really simple to make and very quick to cook.

You will need the following

1 lb Plain Flour
4 teaspoons Baking powder
2 teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda
2 tablespoons Ground ginger
1 tablespoon Cinnamon
1 tablespoon Ground mixed spice
1 teaspoon Salt
8 oz Butter
8 on Dark brown sugar
8 tablespoons Golden syrup

Mix the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, cinnamon, mixed spice and salt together

Chop the butter in small cubes and rub into the flour mix until it resembles bread crumbs

Add the sugar and stir through

Heat the syrup in a pan until watery and add to the dry ingredients

Mix to a dough

Flour your hands and roll pieces the size of a pecan nut ball and place on a greased or non stick baking tray

Bake in a pre heated oven 200c/400f or gas mark 6 for 10 minutes.

When cooked take out the oven leave on the baking sheet to firm up for a couple of minutes then place on a wire rack and let cool.

Store in an air tight tin.

Date Cake

Dorset Apple Cake

Medlar Cheese

Pear and Ginger Muffins

Pear and Ginger Jam

Red Current Jelly

Lemon and Elderflower Marmalade

Cornish Fairings (Spiced biscuits)

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