Rhubarb, Rhubarb!

So excited that I have been able to harvest my own rhubarb ... So what to do? At the moment slowly simmering into  pink silkyness...however looking forward to draining the syrup off, to make Hugh F-W's Rhubarb Bellini...

Catch up....my exploits into recipe development this month

It's National Baking Week!

I have the honour of being "hostess" for the monthly meeting of Galashiels Inner Wheel today, and so have taken the time to do some baking - co incidentially I discovered it's also  http://www.nationalbakingweek.co.uk/
so I'm on trend!

I have make my 2 bite mini cakes & chocolate brownies.... both of which have already featured on this blog..so just new photos today.
The brownies will be decorated with golden fairy sprinkle tomorrow, just before serving

I also discovered the lovely, meticulous Holly from TGBBO has a blog and she tweets - some great recipes ..here she is    http://www.recipesfromanormalmum.com/

Rocky Road Recipe - full and uncensored!

                                                                               

I seem to have become famous for chocolate based traybakes..........I wonder why?!    

Anyway - here is the recipe for Rocky Road, Timmins style - nothing left out - no secrets!

400g Milk Chocolate
6 digestive biscuits
10 chocolate fingers (they were left over - you can add any biscuit really...!)
100g Maltesers
50g mini marshallows
to decorate: coloured sprinkles and edible glitter

Melt the chocolate gently, either in the microwave or in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. 
Break the biscuits into small pieces ( size of a 10p piece)
To the melted chocolate, add the broken biscuits; Maltesers and marshmallows and stir well to ensure everything is covered in the chocolate.
Pour mixture into a lightly buttered foil or buttered baking tray ( 15mm x 30mm or equivalent - it doesn't matter if it's too big the mixture is stiff enough to stop in the tray)
Spread the mixture out so it's 1-1.5cm thick, try not to have any big holes.
Allow to set before cutting into squares. Yummy.

Sultana Scones with all the trimmings

My lovely mum has used this recipe for decades, Bella and I often make scones together. We were delighted to be able to whip up a batch of scones to have with delicious Cornish clotted cream and strawberry jam on our recent trip to sunny St Ives

What you need...

a lightly greased baking tray;

a circular cutter approx 7cm in diameter

Pre heat oven to 200 C; 400 F, Gas 6

 

Ingredients...

225g self raising flour

50g butter, cut into small cubes, kept chilled

1/2 x5ml sp salt

25g caster sugar

50g sultanas

150ml milk
1 egg beaten with a little milk – for glazing




How to...

Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl then add the butter and salt. Rub the butter into the flour, using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs (a good couple of minutes). Add the sugar and sultanas and stir. Make a well in the centre, stir in enough milk to make a soft, pliable dough.

Turn the mixture on to a floured board and knead very lightly until just smooth then lightly roll out to 2cm thick.

Cut rounds with the cutter or cut into triangles with a sharp knife. Place on the baking tray and brush with the beaten egg and milk mixture. Bake near the top of the hot oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown and well risen. Cool on a wire rack before eating.

Serve with butter, jam and clotted cream – adding a few strawberries ( as part of your 5 a day!)

Golden Apricot and Coconut flapjacks

The golden refers to golden syrup
and edible golden sprinkle
.......a delight!


What you need........
Baking tray 23cm x20cm or similar – greased & lined with greaseproof paper


Pre heated oven 150 C; 300 F; Gas 2

Ingredients......


150g butter
2 x 15mlsps (2 Tbsp) golden syrup
125g Dark or light brown muscovado sugar

200g porridge oats

75g chopped apricots

25g desiccated coconut

Salt

To garnish........

Edible gold sprinkle

How to.....

Melt the butter, golden syrup, and sugar in a large saucepan – using a gentle heat. Stir and ensure all is combined and the butter melts. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the remaining ingredients. Spoon into the prepared tin, push to corners and level out the mixture – pressing down to make as flat as possible.

Bake in the pre heated oven for 20-30 minutes. Personally I like sticky, so I’d take out around 20ish minutes.. but if you’d rather have slightly crispy edges...then 30 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly before removing from tin. Score 24 small squares. Decorate, if desired, with edible golden sprinkle. Leave to set before cutting with a sharp knife.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder....here goes!

Bella’s Blonde Rocky Road

We loved making this together, weighing everything ; preparing the tin and of course the results....yummy!

What you need....

Baking tray 23cm x20cm or similar - lined with greaseproof paper

Ingredients...

400g white chocolate, broken into pieces

150g shortbread biscuits, broken in to pieces approx 1-2cm
75g white mini marshmallows
25g white chocolate snowies or buttons
25g fudge, chopped into small pieces
25g rice crispies


To garnish.....

100’s and 1000’s


How to....


Really Easy! Melt the chocolate in a bowl gently in the microwave, or over a pan of hot water.


Remove from heat source. Add all the ingredients to the bowl and stir well until combined..The mixture should be loose, but not runny, if it is too runny...add a handful of rice snaps.


Spoon into the prepared tin, push to corners and level out the mixture.


Garnish with the 100’s & 1000’s. Place into a fridge or place in a cool place overnight, or for a few hours until set.


Cut into squares – makes approx 24

Food and all that

This week I've been lucky enough to spend some time with my niece and nephew...their mum..Kharis is a huge avocate of allowing her daughter (and when he's old enough, her son) to participate with cooking, as I am with my own child. Funnily enough it was the sight of a 3/4 year old scarlet ballerina wielding a mezzaluna, chopping coriander, which prompted this blog entry.....cooking with children, however simple, is an excellent way of widening their understanding of food, pleasure and sharing...and practically ensure they will survive during later years on a budget....a skill which definately can be learnt..and be honed over many years for nourishment and enrichment of life.....

Sticks Part 2

Parmesan Crisp Sticks

50g grated Parmesan cheese, in crumbs (for ease, I used a pre packed fresh grated parmesan - but freshly grated, slightly dry is fine)

25g fresh Ciabatta breadcrumbs, very fine

1 x15mlsp (1Tbsp) seasoning of your choice – Cumin seeds; Mustard seeds; Poppy seeds; Sesame seeds, if desired

12 flat wooden "lollysticks" or stirrers

How to:

Preheat oven to 180 C; 350 F; Gas 5. Grease and line a flat baking tray (using greaseproof paper or ideally baking parchment)
Combine the cheese, breadcrumbs and any seasoning.
Place 6 sticks on the baking sheet, spoon 1x15mlsp (1Tbsp) of the mixture over the top of each stick, press mixture down ensuring an even thickness. Bake 6 sticks at a time in the preheated oven. Ovens vary, so I suggest you try for 6 minutes, and if not brown continue for another minute or so. Remove from oven and immediately dislodge each stick carefully by sliding a palette knife under each piece.

Repeat with the remaining mixture and sticks.

Serve immediately, but will keep for 24 hours in an airtight tin.

.....Of course you can do without the sticks for just "crisps"..and try experimenting with different seasonings

Cheese and Bacon Twists

Just a dalliance with left overs...some flaky pastry scraps, heel end of parmesan and 3 rashers of cooked bacon.

Piece together (if scraps) and roll out the pastry into sheet 12cm x20cm as thin as possible. Cut up the bacon into small pieces; grate the end of the parmesan.

Cut the pastry into 10 strips approx 2cm wide- sprinkle the bacon over the strips. Brush with a little beaten egg or milk, twist the strips twice. Place on a greased baking tray; sprinkle the grated parmesan over the twists and place in a pre heated oven at 180 C; 350 F; Gas 5 for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. If you can cook in the oven when the main pastry item is cooking - even better. I retained some grated parmesan for garnish, if required and obviously the bacon can be removed if a meat free twist is required.

Ideal with drinks in a sunny garden.

Have a good weekend.

Bibi's Bakery

Luscious, fun and stylish boutique selling cupcakes.....fantastic flavours and combinations.

Bibi's Bakery

Supper was truely enhanced with a box of these babies...oo0er which to chose?

Chocolate orange? Cookies and Cream? White chocolate? Malt chocolate? Vanilla Fudge? Banana Peanut butter???

Taking that trend 1+2 steps further as a boutique concept, with cupcake courses, newsletter, facebook and loads more. Fabulous!

Getting ready for Christmas - Cashew & Orange Biscotti

These fabulous Biscotti taste gorgeous, the hint of orange is sublime, and are very simple to make... I made these, this afternoon, between making Christmas cards and ordering some presents on-line
You can use pistachio nuts too, instead of the cashews, and next time I'm experimenting with brazils and almonds....Mmmmm!

175g (6oz) plain flour
1x5ml sp (1tsp) baking powder
125g (4oz) caster sugar
finely grated zest of an orange
2 medium eggs (beaten)
75g (3oz) unsalted, unroasted cashew nuts - try pistachios, or almonds too.

Oven: pre heat to 180 C ( 160 C fan), gas mark 4
Use a large oven sheet and baking parchment or greaseproof paper

Sift the flour and the baking powder into a bowl ( or food processor); add the sugar and the orange zest.
Mix well. Add egg a bit at a time until a stiff dough forms (I added all the egg, and made quite a sticky dough, so had to add a handful more of flour..no detriment!)
Add the nuts and combine well into the dough.
On a floured surface, divide and roll into 2 thick sausages - approx 5cm ( 2 inches) wide by 20cm (8 inches).
Place on the prepared baking tray. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes until puffed up and golden.
Remove on to a cooling rack; turn the oven down to 140 C (120 C fan) gas mark 1.
After 10 mins, cut into 1cm (1/2 inch) slices and replace laid flat onto prepared baking tray.
Bake for 20 minutes until golden ( I actually turned the oven off, and allowed them to semi cool in the oven)
Makes approx 20.
Store in an airtight container.....I may give these as presents, if they last!

What I did at Christmas.....the only thing photographed!

Christmas pudding truffles
with total admiration, acknowledgment and thanks to Nigella Lawson, who invented these.
It's a bit late now, but the christmas cake may still have been in the tin for weeks, if I hadn't adapted the goddess's recipe

125g best-quality dark chocolate, finely chopped;
350g leftover christmas cake/any dark fruit cake - Icing/Marzipan removed ( cooks treat to eat OR crumble up and put out for the birds) The cake should be chopped up a bit.
3 Tblsp sherry
2 Tblsp golden syrup
For decoration:
100g white chocolate, finely chopped
6 red glacé cherries
6 short lengths angelica

Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, or in the microwave according to the manufacturer's guidelines.
Crumble the chopped cake into a bowl, add the sherry and golden syrup and keep on stiring until combined
Pour in the melted chocolate and keep on stirring, the mixture will go sticky/clumpy - just make sure the chocolate combines well.
Take small lumps of mixture and roll in your hands so that you have little rounds about the size of a chocolate truffle. You should get about 30 out of this mixture. Chill.

To decorate, melt the white chocolate either in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, or in the microwave according to the manufacturer's guidelines, then let it cool for about 5 minute. Chop the red cherries into small pieces, to look like holly berries and snip the angelica into miniature lengths, to represent leaves - very sticky.
Using a teaspoon, drip a little of the melted but slightly cooled white chocolate on each truffle, then arrange the cherry and angelica to decorate.

A Pecan Pie....and almost another disaster!

At blinking last!
I almost had a second disaster regarding the Pecan Pie... you can see the photograph is very cropped, because there are a few browner patches.. but I hope I averted a crisis in the pie department. The pie tastes absolutely fantastic (even though say so myself) but looks very dark when cooked..mind you it is very dark before it even goes into the oven, the treacle sees to that.

Pastry
I have to admit, I cheated, I used pre made pastry....!
1 x 227g pack pre rolled shortcrust pastry
OR same quantity of homemade plain shortcrust pastry

Filling
3 eggs, beated well
225g (8oz) soft dark brown sugar
1 x5ml sp (1 tsp) vanilla extract ( not flavouring)
pinch of salt
75g (3oz) butter, melted
3 x15ml sp (3 Tblsp) golden syrup
3 x 15ml sp (3 Tblsp) black treacle
225g (8oz) shelled pecan nut halves (retain half for decoration/ chop the remaining half)

Pre heat the oven to 200 C; 400 F; Gas mark 6
Roll out the pastry to fit a 24cm (10 ") solid flan case or pie plate
Allow pastry to mould in to the case, don't push into the corners or the pastry will stretch.
Neaten off the top edge of the pastry. Make fork holes over the pastry base.
To bake the pastry "blind"; place greaseproof paper and rice/beans or baking beans in the centre of the pastry to stop bubbling.
Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the greaseproof and beans for the a further 5 minutes until cooked pastry is golden.
Remove from oven and set aside until filling is complete.
Turn oven temperature down to 180 C; 350 F; Gas mark 4
Place the beaten eggs into a bowl, add the sugar, the vanilla extract and the salt. Mix well, add the syrup, the treacle, the chopped pecans and the melted butter. Stir well and mix until well combined.
The mixture will be quite dark in colour. Pour mixture into the pastry case, and decorate with the retained pecan nut halves.
Place in the pre heated oven, at the lower temperature, and bake for 35-40 minutes until filling has set. (Ovens vary, and fan assisted may need a lower temperature to ensure no burning).
Be prepared to cover the pie with double foil after approx 10 minutes.
Serve warm or cool with ice cream.