tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43385376208619256302024-02-20T20:22:17.986+00:00Calwell CookingA journal of cooking rather than a set of guidelines - try recipes at your own riskCalwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-18717783262487747102020-05-16T18:39:00.002+01:002020-05-16T18:39:36.748+01:00Candied Lemon Peel - First Trial, Needs Work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48Wq3WY8aZsxrQp5yW77EADNMWhecFMSgVTNst2sEOmd8jsJ1j16oto-8pcMf9ANamuZzpBMMKl6Kmkx12tv4RT1LqWIY22vn3Ht38naV4xPbiiAXmyUWRl4KygCg5Qv-k0hTdSAUzNY/s1600/Lemon+Drizzle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="640" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48Wq3WY8aZsxrQp5yW77EADNMWhecFMSgVTNst2sEOmd8jsJ1j16oto-8pcMf9ANamuZzpBMMKl6Kmkx12tv4RT1LqWIY22vn3Ht38naV4xPbiiAXmyUWRl4KygCg5Qv-k0hTdSAUzNY/s320/Lemon+Drizzle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
1 Lemon, thinly sliced<br />
1 cup caster sugar<br />
<br />
Method:<br />
<br />
1) Put lemon into cold water and bring to a boil. Drain.<br />
<br />
2) Combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar and heat until sugar is dissolved. Add lemon and simmer for one hour, until lemon slices are translucent.<br />
<br />
3) Carefully remove slices and place on parchment to cool.<br />
<br />
Musings:<br />
<br />
In no way do I think candied peel is for everybody. One of my children picks out out of his hot cross buns, and many others I know find it the worst part of their Christmas pudding. But I personally love it, and want to be able to make my own since the shop bought options are so miserable these days. You used to be able to easily purchase whole pieces of candied fruit (in admittedly dusty boxes), but now you can only get microscopic candied peel in mixed, bland tubs.<br />
<br />
One of the standard bakes that I find pleases most crowds is a <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/user/46297/recipe/lemon-syrup-loaf" target="_blank">Lemon Drizzle Cake</a>, but it can often be left looking quite drab next to other options. I thought I should try my hand at making candied peel so that I can pimp it up when necessary.<br />
<br />
This recipe wasn't awful, but it wasn't amazing, either. I think more cooking of the peel is required, so will probably try <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/candied-citrus-peel" target="_blank">this recipe</a> next time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUizEAWIrrShscAk5refRKjUbwf8DtttTwhR_5Ms2agw8ut8p0L6XfJaS796mnthoU8XDkH-TfKwSnrg6l04wacGf6XK-wv4SufTRYTu_z2JqUSlV4UGkxrbo4_NxCQMoN7MABY27hQw/s1600/Lemon+Slices.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUizEAWIrrShscAk5refRKjUbwf8DtttTwhR_5Ms2agw8ut8p0L6XfJaS796mnthoU8XDkH-TfKwSnrg6l04wacGf6XK-wv4SufTRYTu_z2JqUSlV4UGkxrbo4_NxCQMoN7MABY27hQw/s400/Lemon+Slices.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-83833340216965692262020-05-08T20:15:00.002+01:002020-05-08T20:15:57.885+01:00Salted Caramel Brownies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7KOLIl-m3_8oWI487rfYD7tU3_xqxLiQcpKu-Fd9IX30XZkzhW0mizD4H76_00cjxmgeC4yL0naaot2PYknzNo4mGgQYybMMPdL2c4g1vDf3gWIV7__3b1G858aLBjeasq_G9AxwaTs/s1600/Brownies1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7KOLIl-m3_8oWI487rfYD7tU3_xqxLiQcpKu-Fd9IX30XZkzhW0mizD4H76_00cjxmgeC4yL0naaot2PYknzNo4mGgQYybMMPdL2c4g1vDf3gWIV7__3b1G858aLBjeasq_G9AxwaTs/s320/Brownies1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKhDL9HizPNfzvsCzDckXxnrrO-8BBEGHDrZGDCeqWwINO0odSmAbWtY6Hv2TzZ7gRGiaVcJwZYbLWp1qfS66UOqtHO1YiPq8WnhG3rUarcT_zfayZDKWJXf5xtbCeSP97Ybi-DUFs60/s1600/Brownies2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKhDL9HizPNfzvsCzDckXxnrrO-8BBEGHDrZGDCeqWwINO0odSmAbWtY6Hv2TzZ7gRGiaVcJwZYbLWp1qfS66UOqtHO1YiPq8WnhG3rUarcT_zfayZDKWJXf5xtbCeSP97Ybi-DUFs60/s320/Brownies2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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<br /></div>
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Caramel</div>
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1/2 cup caster sugar</div>
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4 Tbsp butter</div>
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1/4 tsp flaky sea salt</div>
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3 Tbsp double cream</div>
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<br /></div>
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Brownie</div>
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100g 74% dark chocolate</div>
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115g butter</div>
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7/8 cup caster sugar</div>
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2 large eggs</div>
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1 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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1/4 flaky sea salt</div>
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2/3 cup plain flour</div>
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<br /></div>
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Method:</div>
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<br /></div>
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Caramel First:</div>
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1) Set square of baking paper over a medium sized plate. </div>
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2) In a medium, dry saucepan over medium-high heat, melt your sugar. This will take around 5 minutes, and you can shoogle the pan around if chunks appear in order to melt them. You are aiming for a copper colour here, nothing lighter, nothing darker (that will mean it's burnt)</div>
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3) Remove from heat as soon as this happens and add the butter. Stir in, but it won't combine perfectly. That's ok.</div>
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4) Add the cream and return to medium high heat, bringing back to a simmer and melting any sugar that solidified. Cook it until it darkens just slightly. </div>
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5) Pour the caramel onto the parchment and transfer it to your freezer until it's solid, probably around 20 minutes or so.</div>
<br />
Brownies Next:<br />
6) Preheat oven to 180C and line an 8X8 inch pan with baking paper<br />
7) Melt your butter and then add the chocolate. Hopefully there will be enough heat in the butter to melt the chocolate without further heating, but heat further if required in short, low spurts.<br />
8) Mix in butter, then eggs, then vanilla, then salt, then flour.<br />
9) Remove your caramel from the freezer and chop into rough 1 inch squares, then fold all but a few of these into your batter.<br />
10) Scrape batter into pan and sprinkle remaining pieces over the top.<br />
11) Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes, erring on the side of under-baking if in doubt, as brownies will harden and continue to cook as they cool<br />
12) Cool completely before cutting if you want nice, clean cuts. Eat with a spoon if you don't.<br />
<br />
<br />
Further Nonsense:<br />
<br />
It was my birthday the other day, and my husband had been asking me all week what kind of cake I'd like. The family celebration cake in recent years has become a fraisier, but this cake is complicated, and I knew I'd be making one next month for my son, and I didn't want my husband to make a cake. This is not because he is bad at baking - far from it, he is very skilled in the kitchen. It is the cleaning up afterwards he isn't as good at. And the last thing I want to stare at on my birthday is a kitchen that looks like drug dealers have hit it while looking for the secret stash. So I told him I'd like to try a new recipe out...and then quickly had to decide what recipe that was going to be.<br />
<br />
One item I often get from my local bakers is a salted caramel brownie. A good brownie is a difficult thing to master, and a caramel brownie makes this even tricker. But one of my colleagues had brought some into the office to much acclaim, and I thought I'd get the recipe off her. I messaged her on the morning of the big day, and she quickly sent over the link. Scanning down the list, I saw I needed a couple of items, but that was ok - part of my birthday treat was going to be the weekly trip to the supermarket. Lockdown birthdays are awesome.<br />
<br />
The original recipe, from Smitten Kitchen, called for baking chocolate, but I wasn't up for finding that. It has only one use, and I prefer to get dark chocolate as it can be used for non-baking emergencies as well as in recipes. The rest of the ingredients were simple enough to find, and once mid-afternoon hit, I set to work, made them, cut them into a tower, then handed candles I had bought to my husband and told him to gather everyone and sing to me so that I could eat some. So part control freak, but also part willing to take action if I see no one else is gonna do anything.<br />
<br />
The real key to this recipe is making solid caramel. Before I'd made runny caramel which just disappeared into brownies, but this gave me definite blobs of it, meaning you immediately knew what you were in for. The brownies recipe itself may need tinkered with, but I know I'll use this caramel recipe again for sure.Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-9645404295594863562020-05-04T19:48:00.002+01:002020-05-04T19:48:34.229+01:00Cherry Streusel Cake (or cherry coffee cake if you're American)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ894fyhbjK1WJaKvTjhjnpzh7N5aOgrKhyyAY6MnnfImA0EGH0v4bYCeB5XYvpc6V0Q6xObAaxoPQWTt9pEOCWoKZP2LzrS2CBd_mJl6R3v6CsXkX-kKyx1VpqpZxb8JGkm_TluyFw-Y/s1600/Coffee+Cake+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1233" data-original-width="1280" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ894fyhbjK1WJaKvTjhjnpzh7N5aOgrKhyyAY6MnnfImA0EGH0v4bYCeB5XYvpc6V0Q6xObAaxoPQWTt9pEOCWoKZP2LzrS2CBd_mJl6R3v6CsXkX-kKyx1VpqpZxb8JGkm_TluyFw-Y/s320/Coffee+Cake+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqYzu9wwvrg6G8EqmVDIgyO4NVuYe_wTuT9mQ8kkmTOy2DQgRfHdsDWOc5buEE9DLDv5xQyRhjzoCzeZrA4eibEhdrwozKA0TQa3NOowqHIcVbkb-scvBtaJTj0K3EOpR9436fdcdnRoU/s1600/coffee+cake+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqYzu9wwvrg6G8EqmVDIgyO4NVuYe_wTuT9mQ8kkmTOy2DQgRfHdsDWOc5buEE9DLDv5xQyRhjzoCzeZrA4eibEhdrwozKA0TQa3NOowqHIcVbkb-scvBtaJTj0K3EOpR9436fdcdnRoU/s320/coffee+cake+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bVi26pOoOxefI_1HPz1GJEGxKxvoZHSKfFRbiyTB12auBzdeEuJ2m_yMv3r3h7dq4t4HAb90zrGWIHR2YQZ5GeEYrcYKMELfrddr2bup0_WX4MEdKfFhqnCofHW2FkwoY5YqSWxp1vA/s1600/Coffee+Cake+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bVi26pOoOxefI_1HPz1GJEGxKxvoZHSKfFRbiyTB12auBzdeEuJ2m_yMv3r3h7dq4t4HAb90zrGWIHR2YQZ5GeEYrcYKMELfrddr2bup0_WX4MEdKfFhqnCofHW2FkwoY5YqSWxp1vA/s320/Coffee+Cake+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Ingredients<br />
<br />
Cake:<br />
280g plain flour<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
310ml sour cream or yoghurt<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
60g butter<br />
190g sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
<br />
Streusel:<br />
180g flour<br />
160g finely chopped walnuts or pecans<br />
260g light brown sugar<br />
150g melted butter<br />
2 tsp cinnamon<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
<br />
Cherries:<br />
220g frozen, pitted cherries<br />
<br />
Method:<br />
<br />
Preheat your oven to 180C with a rack in the middle & line a 9X13inch pan with baking paper.<br />
<br />
1) Blitz all the streusel toppings together in a food processor and set aside. If you don't have one, just mix by hand. Melted butter helps it all lump together nicely, but you can skip melting it if you like and get a more crumbly texture<br />
2) In a large bowl, cream your butter and sugar.<br />
3) Beat in eggs one at a time<br />
4) Measure your dry ingredients together in one bowl, and your yoghurt/sour cream mixed with vanilla in another.<br />
5) Add a third of the flour mix to your large bowl and mix in. Then add half your yoghurt/sour cream mix and stir in. Then some flour, then some wet stuff, then the last of the flour.<br />
6) Pour into your lined pan and spread to evenly cover the bottom.<br />
7) Scatter the cherries over the batter<br />
8) Scatter the Streusel over the top and push around to get even coverage. You may get geysers of batter that erupt through the cherries and streusel, but that's ok.<br />
9) Bake and check after 40 minutes. You may need a lot more, but that's a good time to check and turn the pan for even baking.<br />
<br />
EXCLUSIVE: THE REAL STORY!!!<br />
<br />
I was out on my weekly shopping excursion the other day, equipped with my granny trolley as well as my trusty rucksack. The mission was mainly to source fresh fruit and veg, seeing as we have our flour needs covered (thank you, 16kg bags), as well as our meat and much of our dairy delivered (milk a bit of an exception, as no milkman will deliver to flats here, it seems). By the time I got to the freezer, my rolling basket was fairly loaded up, but I was quite keen to get some frozen fruit, as the kids seem to like it, and it's super cheap. There was only one bag of raspberries left, but an abundance of cherries, so I grabbed one. I quickly remembered that my kids don't really like frozen cherries as much, and I don't like the mess they make thawing them, but it was too late. I had lifted the bag, and in these Covid19 times, you don't put the bag back in the supermarket. Into the shopping basket they went, and straight into the freezer when I got home.<br />
<br />
While rifling through the drawers a few days later they glared at me accusingly, untouched. I apologized and promised soon, very soon, I'd find a use for them...then I shut the door in their face. a couple days later, they called out again, and I gave in. I pulled out my trusty Joy of Cooking, and made what Americans call a coffee cake, but put in cherries where the recipe called for either apples or cranberries, and doubling the amount of streusel that the recipe called for.<br />
<br />
But there's still half a bag of cherries in the freezer.<br />
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<br />Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-20022780781665469522020-04-22T18:27:00.001+01:002020-04-22T20:24:34.310+01:00Cinnamon Rolls with a Secret Ingredient (It's Potato)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxLCONq9voiLYSV7KIf4vnVpCc_YFQOAKSKLFoSAvdoUHAX1GIQDNBKV38Ca1Ep2v-RBnHUsNMI3xCB-0awMgTju0EU6g6V20VIoo1J8QUlY5orvUL1dn4YmAY8bYOYHtlG_ZfFzz3EA/s1600/potato+rolls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1340" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxLCONq9voiLYSV7KIf4vnVpCc_YFQOAKSKLFoSAvdoUHAX1GIQDNBKV38Ca1Ep2v-RBnHUsNMI3xCB-0awMgTju0EU6g6V20VIoo1J8QUlY5orvUL1dn4YmAY8bYOYHtlG_ZfFzz3EA/s320/potato+rolls.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
<b>Dough:</b><br />
1 cup mashed potato (2 medium-large potatoes)<br />
1 cup reserved potato water (if you remember not to chuck it down the sink)<br />
1 1/2 cups warm water<br />
4 1/2 tsp yeast (2 packets)<br />
3/4 cup butter or margarine (unusually, margarine works well, if not better, than butter)<br />
3/4 cup caster sugar<br />
2 tsp salt<br />
2 eggs<br />
4 cups bread flour<br />
4 1/2 cups plain flour (or more if required)<br />
<br />
<b>Filling (scale up if you like a cinnamon filling heavy roll):</b><br />
1/2 cup super soft butter (or more if required)<br />
1 cup light brown sugar<br />
1 Tbsp cinnamon<br />
1 tsp 5 spice powder<br />
<br />
<b>Icing (again, scale up if you like an icing heavy roll):</b><br />
4 oz/120g cream cheese (called soft cheese when you go off-brand)<br />
4 Tbsp/60g butter<br />
1 cup/120g icing sugar<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
<br />
Method:<br />
<br />
1) Combine potato water, water, butter, and yeast and let sit for 5 minutes.<br />
2) Add rest of dough ingredients in order they are listed above, turning out dough when it is too stiff to mix by hand. Knead for 10 minutes. Dough can be quite sticky, so use a dough scraper if you have one. Don't worry about any little lumps of potato that remain.<br />
3) Put dough in a huge bowl greased with oil, turning it over once in the bowl. Cover with clingfilm and leave in your fridge overnight.<br />
4) When you stumble out of bed the next day and open the fridge, scream in horror at the beast that has erupted out of the bowl because you didn't follow your own advice and use a big enough container. Tell yourself it's fine, you can do this.<br />
5) Punch the dough down, and roll it into a 24 X 18 inc rectangle. Or split into two, and roll each half into a 12X18 inch rectangle.<br />
6) Use a pastry brush to cover the surface with wonderful, glorious butter. No pastry brush? Use your hands. I won't tell anyone.<br />
7) Mix the brown sugar and spices together and sprinkle evenly over the butter. Press it into the butter so that it doesn't escape when you roll up the dough.<br />
8) Take the long edge and roll the dough in on itself until you have a big, long, cinnamon sausage.<br />
9) Using your sharpest knife (or dental floss) slice the dough into 12 even rolls. Place into a greased pan that will fit them all - a large roasting tray, or a 9X13 pan should work. Cover and let rise until doubled in size.<br />
10) Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Bake for around 30 minutes, until golden brown all along the tops and no longer jiggling in the middle.<br />
11) Combine icing ingredients together (ideally with a food processor or hand blender) and smear over the top.<br />
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<b>Other Ramblings:</b><br />
<br />
Tried doing these today as a way to have them ready first thing in the morning, rather than the middle of the day. I enjoyed a recipe recently where five spice powder was included in the mix, so I wanted that in these for a bit of a kick, but I wanted the dough from this potato dough recipe as it gives the rolls a fantastically soft, fluffy texture. Unfortunately, the dough erupted like Mount Vesuvius in the fridge, and I had to do a bit of damage control. I could have done with a bit more filling, and although I panicked and had trouble shaping them (I don't think I measured the flour accurately) the rolls themselves were fantastically pillow-like. I also think I need to scale up the icing just a little. I didn't actually measure it this morning, just threw stuff in the magimix, but I know the above ratio worked for a smaller recipe of 9 rather than 12 rolls. The other thing you can do is prepare everything up before the second rise, and let them do that rise in the fridge overnight, but I am not so sure about how these ones would do...<br />
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<br />Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-34111994687537580332020-04-19T16:43:00.001+01:002020-04-19T16:43:36.090+01:00Rhubarb, Blueberry, & Lime Pie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZug4zLTUaV29VqwSRwJURat6kNI58dEzqsyONrqstGQFn9FtEsgtcka32kLiZKOgja_XG5O8JxDjdt5SoUTG_2fnqOC3AbiHPHTUctKiIT8MmwJVQUiwY9zawrD3NkcsD9c_T8x7U90/s1600/Pie2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZug4zLTUaV29VqwSRwJURat6kNI58dEzqsyONrqstGQFn9FtEsgtcka32kLiZKOgja_XG5O8JxDjdt5SoUTG_2fnqOC3AbiHPHTUctKiIT8MmwJVQUiwY9zawrD3NkcsD9c_T8x7U90/s320/Pie2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Ingredients</b>:<br />
<br />
<b>Crust:</b><br />
1 X 9 inch pastry crust<br />
2 tsp caster or granulated sugar<br />
2 tsp plain flour<br />
<br />
<b>Topping</b>:<br />
3/4 cup / 96g plain flour<br />
5 Tbsp/ 70g room temperature butter<br />
1/4 cup / 50g caster or granulated sugar<br />
2 Tbsp muscovado sugar<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
<br />
<b>Filling</b>:<br />
1 cup + 2 Tbsp / 225g caster or granulated sugar<br />
6 Tbsp/ 48g cornflour<br />
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon<br />
1/4 tsp ground ginger<br />
pinch salt<br />
3 cups/ 450g blueberries<br />
3 cups/ 300g rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces<br />
1 tsp lime zest<br />
1 Tbsp lime juice<br />
1 Tbsp melted butter<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b>:<br />
<br />
Preheat oven with rack on bottom to 425F/220C<br />
<br />
1) Combine crumble ingredients until you have gravel like pieces. You could do this in a food processor or by hand. Put in freezer.<br />
<br />
2) Roll out the crust and put into your pie dish. Decorate the edge as much or as little as you like, depending on how artistic you are (I think the crust above answers any questions about where I land on that scale). Once it's safely in the dish, sprinkle flour and sugar over the base to prevent a soggy bottom, then place in fridge.<br />
<br />
3) Mix filling ingredients and mix until everything coated with a sugary gloss. Scrape into pastry and even it out in the dish, then sprinkle topping evenly over the top<br />
<br />
4) Place the pie on a rimmed tray and bake for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 375F/190C and bake for 1 hour more, tenting with foil after 45 minutes to prevent burning.<br />
<br />
5) Let cool for two hours before slicing and serving.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Other Witterings:</b><br />
<br />
Lockdown is here, and I have 32kg of flour to get through.<br />
<br />
So I'm back to being at home, able to do a lot more baking, but still working full time, so not THAT much more baking, perhaps. The government limits to shop visits as well as small bag shortages mean that I was having trouble getting my usual supplies of flour, so I decided to go big AND go home - 16kg of plain flour and 16kg of bread flour. Its all stuffed in my galley kitchen in various places, and is all calling out to be used.<br />
<br />
I had seen this recipe on my friend Steph's blog, and didn't think it sounded great at first but was curious enough to give it a shot since she sang its praises so much. A friend had just dropped off some rhubarb, I had limes and blueberries in my fridge and freezer, so all the planets seemed to align in a the end of the world is here, might as well eat some tasty s*** kind of way. Didn't quite have enough cornflour (corn starch to those across the pond) but nevertheless I gave it a shot, adding in a bit of regular plain flour to help it thicken. The lime really comes through and lifts everything up, so I'd love to make it again. Christopher was a huge fan, Catherine and Michael thought it was ok, but Robert, being an anti-rhubarb person, wasn't willing to even try it. Which meant I got pie for breakfast, the best kind of pie.<br />
<br />
Incidentally, when my mother in law heard about my flour haul, she quickly said "well, don't get too FAT". She wasn't wrong - using up the flour will not be the issue here. So if you are local, and you want something random dropped at your door in a sterile container soon, let me know. I can't promise what it will be, or when it will come, but I would like to know I can drop samples somewhere other than my middle-aged, crap metabolism belly. Just DM me your address and I'll see what I can do.<br />
<br />
<br />Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-5674785938354058912018-04-08T19:27:00.001+01:002018-04-08T19:27:05.658+01:00Easter Lamb - a Week Late<img alt="" id="id_eee1_45a_d713_6af5" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8PUObTHovZN3GDWXnOR9sILtYAjQXpF-wF5h7Tnjr25PhayOLBro-VLFOuajGWY5WIMdUA8Nag89zk5byPx6JU-DMiCLzWHdfwkZtV6nMgmlneyIHZjeBJe01TV_uTjsULe5D44eVqQ/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br />
<br />
He is risen!<br />
<br />
A week ago, that is. But we live in a small flat that doesn't lend itself well to guests, and on Easter Sunday itself my brother and his family were in town, so we ate out. There were so many of us we had to pre-order our meals in the gastropub, and I was disappointed when I scanned the menu and found no mention of lamb. I ordered a vegetarian meal, and briefly sulked when I arrived to see the day's special was indeed, lamb. I envied my fellow diners and their ability to spontaneously order the special of the day.<br />
<br />
Here in the UK, the schools are on holiday for two weeks at Easter, which means no Saturday sports, and therefore a chance to visit the Farmers' Market by the Castle mid-holiday. I stocked up on various things, then eyed up a sizeable, bone-in leg of lamb and decided I could have my Easter feast this year on the date of Orthodox Easter: 8 April (see <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East%E2%80%93West_Schism" target="_blank">here</a>). The lamb was marinated in garlic, olive oil, black olives, anchovies, and rosemary before being roasted, potatoes were parboiled then frozen before meeting hot goose fat, cauliflower doused in cheese sauce and baked, and broccoli steamed. Mint sauce was plopped down beside it, and we ate with an Easter bouquet blocking our view of one another.<br />
<br />
And the only photo I got of it all was the one taken above, of the marinating lamb.<br />
<br />
And now I'm trying to figure out what recipe I used for the lamb, only Michael threw together the marinade from memory, and I just cooked the lamb at 200C, with foil on for the first half hour, until the internal temperature was 140C, which took another hour or so after the foil came off. Is that a recipe?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-23040655103562387542018-03-25T13:30:00.000+01:002018-03-25T13:30:35.478+01:00Raspberry Brownies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0DqDcBz7Y2jOAP-pLSid1DdcKMugHXX7lQiUQ8b1sQLQxYeekGwuKyMmFm6jCkEyN1t7vOFrt_VQ3fGNScEoVFlb_HE2ZeVIdBIAXNlHK_UYKO2ySIsC-tBJriktSVqBRep0ooL-QcA/s1600/IMG_9038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0DqDcBz7Y2jOAP-pLSid1DdcKMugHXX7lQiUQ8b1sQLQxYeekGwuKyMmFm6jCkEyN1t7vOFrt_VQ3fGNScEoVFlb_HE2ZeVIdBIAXNlHK_UYKO2ySIsC-tBJriktSVqBRep0ooL-QcA/s640/IMG_9038.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Once a month, I attend a leadership team meeting for my company. It is a day-long affair, and being finance I usually get to go first, while everyone still is paying attention and before their brains have turned to mush.<br />
<br />
But this month, before looking at footfall, at profit analysis, at department expenditure, we had another pressing matter to attend to.<br />
<br />
"Right," said my boss, "T is running late thanks to Scotrail, so we should probably talk about her imminent birthday."<br />
<br />
Turns out T was about to hit a landmark number. Balloons were required (which requires serious planning when you have motion sensors linked to alarms in your office) and cake was needed. My German colleague and I eyed each other across the table, her being the more frequent office baker.<br />
<br />
"I can make a cake." I declared. "Unless you want to?"<br />
<br />
She gave a shrug. "Nah, you go for it."<br />
<br />
But what kind??? With furrowed brows, we tried to recall any allergies, any flavour aversions, any exclamations of favourites on previous baking occasions, but we drew a blank. Moments later, T arrived and the conversation was cut short.<br />
<br />
So numbers were discussed, charts were analysed, and then later, as conversation drifted over tea and biscuits (the bourbons always disappearing first) my boss turned the conversation towards confections, eyed T and asked "so, T, if you had to choose one perfect cake, what would it be?"<br />
<br />
She looked down, running through her mental list of cakes, and said "ooh, something chocolate. With raspberries. And coconut. I don't know, something like that!"<br />
<br />
To the internet I went, looking for something that would travel well (ideally, by bicycle) and that ticked at least 2 of those three boxes. Raspberry brownies came up as the most likely option to please, and while I could have experimented by adding a bit of coconut, I wasn't willing to risk it since I hadn't tried this recipe before. As it was, I feared I had overdone them, so sent them in with instructions to give constructive feedback (I wouldn't be in work that day), and was told the following:<br />
<br />
"Was lovely. Looked overbaked on outside, but was all gooey on inside, and great taste. So yeah, def do them again. Raspberry flavour came through, everyone loved it. A winner." (this person was given strict instructions to tell me if they had been overcooked so I would know if to adjust baking times, they were not being overly critical)<br />
<br />
"Fabulous brownies, I've just inhaled one."<br />
<br />
"Although gingerless, it was OUTSTANDING." (someone who likes ginger. A lot.)<br />
<br />
"Even I loved it." (a person who doesn't generally eat sugar)<br />
<br />
"Brownies are heaven."<br />
<br />
"Brownies are yummity moo moo. You need to make again."<br />
<br />
So I will try to make these again sometime, and maybe then I'll get more photos than just the one taken above.<br />
<br />
<h2 class="responsive-tabs__pane-title" style="background-attachment: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: white; background-image: url("/sites/all/themes/bbcw_goodfood/images/ui/border-dash.3.gif?vc3e91cf8c6f67cedc8bd07e496616316") !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: left bottom !important; background-repeat: repeat-x !important; background-size: initial !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SerifaBT-Light, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 25px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-top: 20px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
Ingredients</h2>
<div class="ingredients-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 10px;">
<div class="ingredients-list__content" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(234, 234, 234); border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(234, 234, 234); border-right-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(234, 234, 234); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 13.5938px; position: relative;">
<ul class="ingredients-list__group" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 15px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="background: rgb(241, 247, 247); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 6px 10px;">200g <a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-0" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/dark-chocolate" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(51, 51, 51); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;">dark chocolate</a><div aria-hidden="true" class="gf-tooltip" id="gf-tooltip-0" role="tooltip" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 10px; border: 2px solid rgb(127, 126, 125); bottom: 17px; box-sizing: border-box; left: 52px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: -175px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.3s, visibility 0.3s 0.3s; visibility: hidden; width: 354px; z-index: 8999700;">
<a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-0" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/dark-chocolate" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(51, 51, 51); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><div class="gf-tooltip__content" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 5px 10px;">
<a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-0" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/dark-chocolate" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(51, 51, 51); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><div class="gf-tooltip__text" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-0" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/dark-chocolate" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(51, 51, 51); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><article class="node node-glossary-item node-teaser node-teaser clearfix main row grid-padding" id="node-6674781" role="main" style="background: none; box-sizing: border-box; clear: left; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px auto; min-width: 0px; padding: 10px 6.59375px; position: relative; width: 330px;"><a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-0" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/dark-chocolate" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(51, 51, 51); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><div class="node-image" style="box-sizing: border-box; float: left; height: 75px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 75px;">
<a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-0" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/dark-chocolate" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(51, 51, 51); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/dark-chocolate" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #447d75; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Dark chocolate soup pots with double cream in spoons" height="100" src="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/sites/default/files/styles/bbcgf_thumbnail_search/public/glossary-item/glossary-image/2017/08/chocolate-soup.png?itok=PD1fSe_E" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" title="Dark chocolate soup" width="100" /></a></div>
<h2 class="node-title node-glossary-title" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: SerifaBT-Light, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
<a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/dark-chocolate" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #447d75; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 75ms linear;"></a></h2>
<span class="fonetic text-style-alt" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(216, 216, 216); border-right: 1px solid rgb(216, 216, 216); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic; padding: 0px 0.5em;"></span><div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-top: 5px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px;">
</div>
</article></div>
<div class="gf-tooltip__tip" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-left-color: transparent; border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: transparent; border-right-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(127, 126, 125); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 10px 10px 0px; bottom: -12px; box-sizing: border-box; content: ""; height: 0px; left: 175px; margin-left: -10px; position: absolute; width: 0px;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
, broken into chunks</li>
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 6px 10px;">100g <a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-1" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary--2 > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/milk-chocolate" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(51, 51, 51); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;">milk chocolate</a><div aria-hidden="true" class="gf-tooltip" id="gf-tooltip-1" role="tooltip" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 10px; border: 2px solid rgb(127, 126, 125); bottom: 17px; box-sizing: border-box; left: 50.5px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: -175px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.3s, visibility 0.3s 0.3s; visibility: hidden; width: 354px; z-index: 8999700;">
<a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-1" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary--2 > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/milk-chocolate" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(51, 51, 51); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><div class="gf-tooltip__content" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 5px 10px;">
<a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-1" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary--2 > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/milk-chocolate" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(51, 51, 51); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><div class="gf-tooltip__text" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-1" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary--2 > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/milk-chocolate" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(51, 51, 51); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><article class="node node-glossary-item node-teaser node-teaser clearfix main row grid-padding" id="node-6675181" role="main" style="background: none; box-sizing: border-box; clear: left; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px auto; min-width: 0px; padding: 10px 6.59375px; position: relative; width: 330px;"><a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-1" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary--2 > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/milk-chocolate" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(51, 51, 51); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><div class="node-image" style="box-sizing: border-box; float: left; height: 75px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 75px;">
<a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-1" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary--2 > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/milk-chocolate" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(51, 51, 51); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/milk-chocolate" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #447d75; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Milk chocolate squares" height="100" src="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/sites/default/files/styles/bbcgf_thumbnail_search/public/glossary-item/glossary-image/2017/08/milk-chocolate.png?itok=tZk2AHnE" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" title="Milk chocolate" width="100" /></a></div>
<h2 class="node-title node-glossary-title" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: SerifaBT-Light, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
<a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/milk-chocolate" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #447d75; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 75ms linear;"></a></h2>
<span class="fonetic text-style-alt" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(216, 216, 216); border-right: 1px solid rgb(216, 216, 216); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic; padding: 0px 0.5em;"></span><div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-top: 5px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px;">
</div>
</article></div>
<div class="gf-tooltip__tip" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-left-color: transparent; border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: transparent; border-right-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(127, 126, 125); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 10px 10px 0px; bottom: -12px; box-sizing: border-box; content: ""; height: 0px; left: 175px; margin-left: -10px; position: absolute; width: 0px;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
, broken into chunks</li>
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="background: rgb(241, 247, 247); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 6px 10px;">250g pack salted butter</li>
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 6px 10px;">400g soft light brown sugar</li>
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="background: rgb(241, 247, 247); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 6px 10px;">4 large eggs</li>
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 6px 10px;">140g plain flour</li>
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="background: rgb(241, 247, 247); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 6px 10px;">50g cocoa powder</li>
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; padding: 6px 10px;">200g <a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-2" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary--3 > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/raspberry" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(51, 51, 51); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;">raspberr</a>ies</li>
</ul>
<div>
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Method</h2>
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Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 20 x 30cm baking tray tin with baking parchment. Put the chocolate, butter and sugar in a pan and gently melt, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat.</div>
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Stir the eggs, one by one, into the melted chocolate mixture. Sieve over the flour and cocoa, and stir in. Stir in half the raspberries, scrape into the tray, then scatter over the remaining raspberries. Bake on the middle shelf for 30 mins or, if you prefer a firmer texture, for 5 mins more. Cool before slicing into squares. <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.</i></div>
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<br />Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-15297502279520883282018-03-18T21:06:00.000+00:002018-03-18T21:06:54.151+00:00Cullen Skink and Bagels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What your food photo looks like if your first photo didn't take and you have to use the bit of congealed soup that your daughter didn't want (she mostly sipped the broth)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Winter is still here. We woke this morning to several inches of accumulated snow (ok, 2 inches) and gales still blowing, so my husband took this as an excuse to sleep in and I attacked the kitchen in between chapters of reading a novel on my kindle (turns out reading about South African apartheid makes you want to pause between sections and distract yourself in order to recover from the trauma of those tales). I made <a href="http://calwellcooking.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/hot-cross-buns.html" target="_blank">hot cross buns </a>this morning, Christopher made muffins this afternoon, Robert and I scooted/plowed a mile to swimming and then back again, and finally Michael took the younger two off to our local germ colony of soft play while I figured out dinner. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">A friend introduced us to Bross Bagels a few months back, and having stocked my freezer with their Everything bagels last weekend (and foolishly telling my husband about this supply) I now found myself running low on stock. Having had an, er, incident last year with my bike in slippery conditions, I was not keen to cycle in snow the three miles to the bagel shop, so decided it was probably about time I made my own. No, I wouldn't have the delightful mix of seeds, garlic, and salt that adorns their bagels, but I would be able to make ones taster than the supermarkets provide, and ones that my kids would happily eat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">So I began working the dough. A tight crumb is what you want with bagels, so that meant actually kneading the dough for the full 10 minutes all bread recipes ask. More kneading = smaller holes.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" height="640" id="id_9afa_317c_1b3a_fc7d" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6PVglnq_1oB423ePfjwe6KCGQQ123J1pkC-Se-7tkSwademfLRfw8IVEePIcRXnFZtIN2w3qaDNX3fC6m_SPWlSSkIx-Xkpb5YaPQpz7NeDeVVO6d2Rfcg2ONTNPneygVv0H9waRUogo/s640/%255BUNSET%255D" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This wrist was broken, but now it is whole. And able to knead.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8WE93RoNYICduJCa_NVVSMcIhFuLicmRbqJ4ekcZJ_dNo0j7ozuaPBUT3G1zX3JNU9JNzW6cf02ovfVut_Q1UQEWwuHF-DQWjsBUceVmqKvecH2reTyl0T5eLLe7MBrHjwuIz4euaSU/s1600/%255BUNSET%255D" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" id="id_8bd9_375e_9247_a1f7" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8WE93RoNYICduJCa_NVVSMcIhFuLicmRbqJ4ekcZJ_dNo0j7ozuaPBUT3G1zX3JNU9JNzW6cf02ovfVut_Q1UQEWwuHF-DQWjsBUceVmqKvecH2reTyl0T5eLLe7MBrHjwuIz4euaSU/s400/%255BUNSET%255D" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some slightly overpoached fish. Oops.</td></tr>
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That set aside, I started on a delightful soup of Scottish origin: Cullen Skink. It's a great name, and an even better wintry, creamy concoction of potatoes and smoked fish. Leeks would have made it better, but not so much better that it was worth dragging a child along to the aisles mostly full of colourful sugar in order to gain one allium.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6FpETkf5dOjH7unEbY1lp1oFDE1EzY264geUXSsJaLwHwW1ow1FupU0VEe4NGJxyuxNyIkZunB838VLRzoeL4V1S_R8yCOfrfzQLGGkeCjYKzZ4-FLXQubZwEjy8QcqqDrhnAmC6-DU/s1600/%255BUNSET%255D" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" id="id_34d3_b989_7eae_6ee4" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6FpETkf5dOjH7unEbY1lp1oFDE1EzY264geUXSsJaLwHwW1ow1FupU0VEe4NGJxyuxNyIkZunB838VLRzoeL4V1S_R8yCOfrfzQLGGkeCjYKzZ4-FLXQubZwEjy8QcqqDrhnAmC6-DU/s400/%255BUNSET%255D" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rise, my child.</td></tr>
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Nothing terribly complicated - onions, fish, poaching liquid all cooked up together to soften the potatoes, then a ladle full taken away while you puree the rest with milk.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VAM68bNN3bvDacVn5cSpkpTvDNYRQOGN0TtYa6GVMSqVoNe_TH4iFjGtioKkkNrnHYVczTlVX64SgTzfrqjvV05q27uVBAWRjckQM_nlH3Cw9UzsrNYsrGBPdCwxslbP-Jkp-CJeAwM/s1600/%255BUNSET%255D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" id="id_4a50_fce8_f726_4d0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VAM68bNN3bvDacVn5cSpkpTvDNYRQOGN0TtYa6GVMSqVoNe_TH4iFjGtioKkkNrnHYVczTlVX64SgTzfrqjvV05q27uVBAWRjckQM_nlH3Cw9UzsrNYsrGBPdCwxslbP-Jkp-CJeAwM/s200/%255BUNSET%255D" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" width="200" /></a></div>
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My husband recently said to our kids that every dinner we ate from now on would have a green vegetable. That's two nights now we have managed this goal. Tonight was possible because I found these green beans which would have died in the vegetable drawer otherwise. If you have any green vegetable ideas, please send them to my husband. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I also found chives. Woot woot.</td></tr>
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That all done, I looked to my bagel dough, which was now bigger. Yay, yeast.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So I shaped it, poorly, into rings and let them rise a bit. I then prepared a cauldron of water with a tablespoon of baking soda/sodium bicarbonate thrown in to make the bread more bagel-like. For the first one I dropped in, I slipped it off the square so as to minimise the crushing of yeast bubbles, but I didn't really bother to do that with the rest, as it didn't seem necessary. I was using a massive pot, so managed 4 at a time in the end, but most normal pots can only fit 2. They swell up a LOT while cooking, so just because you can fit 4 in raw, doesn't mean they'll fit nicely together once they are ready to come out.<br />
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A minute on each side, with a fish slice to flip them over, then out onto the baking tray they went.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-aU_R48Ryt-W_funkj6PtC67fFJqowqxyL_p7sF-h94NjSMUS4Kx5slIeY79LSpi4pghqy_VxgY0EG8aRd-fRVDEvZs9byWmNlgNLUgTy7ScWn0AnBLIPJoFW1fARqzfQPkEWlRSpIo/s1600/%255BUNSET%255D" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" id="id_dfe7_c12_b21b_8dbf" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-aU_R48Ryt-W_funkj6PtC67fFJqowqxyL_p7sF-h94NjSMUS4Kx5slIeY79LSpi4pghqy_VxgY0EG8aRd-fRVDEvZs9byWmNlgNLUgTy7ScWn0AnBLIPJoFW1fARqzfQPkEWlRSpIo/s320/%255BUNSET%255D" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9cTmxQLX-E9BK_BauwfNf7LWBdQFRdU-a6YBcaVEfnGoIiqBR_gquZw84Cp1WzIL9ZExg8qWW9CPm_F8sEW8Msqn0B65w1SUCTUxVWA3DoVihQFxtVnCahTOfaRIV8RS5_WH_iluABD4/s1600/%255BUNSET%255D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" id="id_f8c8_bb75_ebb_a5e0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9cTmxQLX-E9BK_BauwfNf7LWBdQFRdU-a6YBcaVEfnGoIiqBR_gquZw84Cp1WzIL9ZExg8qWW9CPm_F8sEW8Msqn0B65w1SUCTUxVWA3DoVihQFxtVnCahTOfaRIV8RS5_WH_iluABD4/s320/%255BUNSET%255D" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
This is a step that lots of sites will tell you kids love to help with and watch. But we had hit the hour of screen time in our house, so frankly I was enjoying the peace and tranquillity of this period too much to invite the little people to take part. Next time, perhaps.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_TWKfpLW7WpyK4djoZlY-BrmdeGVS3THdvJLj6aGkMhuTOTm9lQscW6PcO6X1-0Rg1qlnyXdrPqMnyDE4WvWF5DMCGotRIyQV1EQUyHQjydslnmrNg5GC0UkEnBn7sh36y7V7FaVktQ/s1600/%255BUNSET%255D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" id="id_18f9_c8a0_5ce_fad0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_TWKfpLW7WpyK4djoZlY-BrmdeGVS3THdvJLj6aGkMhuTOTm9lQscW6PcO6X1-0Rg1qlnyXdrPqMnyDE4WvWF5DMCGotRIyQV1EQUyHQjydslnmrNg5GC0UkEnBn7sh36y7V7FaVktQ/s320/%255BUNSET%255D" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSahrcGJI6qsbcNv7ymBJqLobOytt5NIj6jBSSc0g6RQrgGSsTD7z0h_5WzQz1FxpzMRbh3gwA9PatenXOuNAKbjEMR7-8HSUy-Yw8R-GMDLswAR94XyCXpocdQY23ilF51Hfm1a-JeXg/s1600/%255BUNSET%255D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" id="id_2c89_f6ab_54ff_7700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSahrcGJI6qsbcNv7ymBJqLobOytt5NIj6jBSSc0g6RQrgGSsTD7z0h_5WzQz1FxpzMRbh3gwA9PatenXOuNAKbjEMR7-8HSUy-Yw8R-GMDLswAR94XyCXpocdQY23ilF51Hfm1a-JeXg/s320/%255BUNSET%255D" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
A final egg white wash and they were ready to go in. Some were lucky enough to be sprinkled with coarse salt, but not the kids' ones. Not because I am an anti-salt overbearing mother, but because they just like things plain.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" height="320" id="id_e320_1fc0_5a31_d415" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_LR5yvIu35i_YldAQOgnNDUU809KFamXEAjbLA54TI3wKr04FkZmyigxx3Fvh1fsNjVTG6YnOF4RISLSb_VEaenTE__FnEcNSQqYnpPMfS8EHGGNCBFjeqS9QU0gmTqmYSmV6404AwCs/s320/%255BUNSET%255D" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Then into the oven for 20 minutes, and you are now your own bagel shop. Half a dozen, please.<br />
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<img alt="" height="400" id="id_61c3_408c_e952_8582" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0oqn7V_7W01PaIAj1_KNvD6TSfs659RyMqUL13BO-2wnUnJFGz8IAl5Rtv1QyBvX5ivFNl17HTFjShcwViVojr861NKh2oSHHiqHYuyaGKc9-eCF1BYZnfjZ9iEgnqklL6c3TQpdFmFo/s400/%255BUNSET%255D" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" width="400" /><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" height="640" id="id_27c6_f4b8_f664_840f" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM4I2_Fn_jvHrOkahJ2f6aw3L5iE0zjEW-yXNzWlHbzUOk7Nc_VyjjWruNYCZFR-dDdJgmbwm8HmKQ4u39yyVNAX_njahDlU8t5fHtu-vl6PaD8yRKsMeRZLesF0ECG94KXl4snMdCdTs/s640/%255BUNSET%255D" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our final, rustic meal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Cullen Skink<br />
<br />
<strong style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;">500g undyed smoked haddock, skin on<br />A bay leaf<br />Knob of butter<br />1 onion, peeled and finely chopped<br />1 leek, washed and cut into chunks<br />2 medium potatoes, unpeeled, cut into chunks<br />500ml whole milk<br />Chives, chopped, to serve</strong><br />
<strong style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;"><br /></strong>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px;">
1. Put the fish into a pan large enough to hold it comfortably, and cover with about 300ml cold water. Add the bay leaf, and bring gently to the boil. By the time it comes to the boil, the fish should be just cooked – if it's not, then give it another minute or so. Remove from the pan, and set aside to cool. Take the pan off the heat.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px;">
2. Melt the butter in another pan on a medium-low heat, and add the onion and the leek. Cover and allow to sweat, without colouring, for about 10 minutes until softened. Season with black pepper.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px;">
3. Add the potato and stir to coat with butter. Pour in the haddock cooking liquor and bay leaf, and bring to a simmer. Cook until the potato is tender.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px;">
4. Meanwhile, remove the skin, and any bones from the haddock, and break into flakes.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px;">
5. Lift out a generous slotted spoonful of potatoes and leeks, and set aside. Discard the bay leaf. Add the milk, and half the haddock to the pan, and either mash roughly or blend until smoothish.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px;">
6. Season to taste, and serve with a generous spoonful of the potato, leek and haddock mixture in each bowl, and a sprinkling of chives.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Bagels</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul class="ingredients-list__group" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="background: rgb(241, 247, 247); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 6px 10px;">7g sachet fast-action dried yeast</li>
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 6px 10px;">500g strong white flour, plus a little extra for shaping</li>
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="background: rgb(241, 247, 247); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 6px 10px;">2 tbsp light brown sugar</li>
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 6px 10px;">a little oil, for greasing</li>
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="background: rgb(241, 247, 247); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 6px 10px;">1 tbsp <a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-0" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/bicarbonate-soda" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(51, 51, 51); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;">bicarbonate of soda</a><div aria-hidden="true" class="gf-tooltip" id="gf-tooltip-0" role="tooltip" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 10px; border: 2px solid rgb(127, 126, 125); bottom: 17px; box-sizing: border-box; left: 70px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: -175px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.3s, visibility 0.3s 0.3s; visibility: hidden; width: 354px; z-index: 8999700;">
<a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-0" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/bicarbonate-soda" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(51, 51, 51); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><div class="gf-tooltip__content" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 5px 10px;">
<a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-0" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/bicarbonate-soda" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(51, 51, 51); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><div class="gf-tooltip__text" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-0" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/bicarbonate-soda" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(51, 51, 51); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><article class="node node-glossary-item node-teaser node-teaser clearfix main row grid-padding" id="node-260266" role="main" style="background: none; box-sizing: border-box; clear: left; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px auto; min-width: 0px; padding: 10px 6.59375px; position: relative; width: 330px;"><a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-0" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/bicarbonate-soda" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(51, 51, 51); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><div class="node-image" style="box-sizing: border-box; float: left; height: 75px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 75px;">
<a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-0" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/bicarbonate-soda" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(51, 51, 51); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/bicarbonate-soda" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #447d75; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Bicarbonate of soda" height="100" src="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/sites/default/files/styles/bbcgf_thumbnail_search/public/glossary/bicarbonateofsoda.jpg?itok=d_on_Vqb" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" title="Bicarbonate of soda" width="100" /></a></div>
<h2 class="node-title node-glossary-title" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: SerifaBT-Light, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
<a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/bicarbonate-soda" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #447d75; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 75ms linear;"></a></h2>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-top: 5px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px;">
</div>
</article></div>
<div class="gf-tooltip__tip" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-left-color: transparent; border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: transparent; border-right-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(127, 126, 125); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 10px 10px 0px; bottom: -12px; box-sizing: border-box; content: ""; height: 0px; left: 175px; margin-left: -10px; position: absolute; width: 0px;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 6px 10px;">1 egg white, to glaze</li>
</ul>
<div>
<h2 class="responsive-tabs__pane-title" style="background-attachment: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: white; background-image: url("/sites/all/themes/bbcw_goodfood/images/ui/border-dash.3.gif?vc3e91cf8c6f67cedc8bd07e496616316") !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: left bottom !important; background-repeat: repeat-x !important; background-size: initial !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SerifaBT-Light, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 25px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-top: 20px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
Method</h2>
<div class="method" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px;">
<ol class="method__list" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li class="method__item" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(240, 242, 235); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: method 1; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 2px;">
Mix the yeast with 300ml lukewarm water. Put the flour, sugar and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl and mix together. Pour over the yeasty liquid and mix into a rough dough.</div>
</li>
<li class="method__item" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(240, 242, 235); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: method 1; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 2px;">
Tip out onto the work surface and knead together until smooth and elastic – this should take around 10 mins.</div>
</li>
<li class="method__item" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(240, 242, 235); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: method 1; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 2px;">
Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a piece of oiled cling film. Place in a warm area and leave until doubled in size, about 1 hr, then uncover and tip onto your work surface.</div>
</li>
<li class="method__item" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(240, 242, 235); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: method 1; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 2px;">
Divide the dough into 10 portions and form into balls – I like to weigh them to make sure that they’re all the same size. Line up on 2 parchment-lined baking trays and cover lightly with cling film.</div>
</li>
<li class="method__item" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(240, 242, 235); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: method 1; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 2px;">
Leave for around 30 mins or until risen and puffy, then remove the cling film.</div>
</li>
<li class="method__item" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(240, 242, 235); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: method 1; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 2px;">
Use a floured finger to make a hole in the centre of each bagel, swirling it around to stretch the dough a little, but being careful not to knock out too much air. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.</div>
</li>
<li class="method__item" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(240, 242, 235); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: method 1; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 2px;">
Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add the bicarbonate of soda to alkalise the water (see tip, below left). Place 1-2 of the bagels in the water at a time and boil for 1 min (2 mins if you want a chewier bagel), turning over halfway through. Using a slotted spoon, lift out the bagels, drain well and place back on the baking tray.</div>
</li>
<li class="method__item" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(240, 242, 235); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: method 1; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 20px;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 2px;">
Brush the bagels with the egg white and sprinkle with your chosen seeds. Bake for 20-25 mins or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before eating. They will keep for 3-4 days, or freeze for 2 months (see How to freeze, below left).</div>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br />Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-31049232376444752972018-03-10T17:02:00.000+00:002018-03-10T17:02:19.025+00:00Chocolate chip cookies, Er, I mean, flapjacks This weekend marks Mothering Sunday, a day to celebrate all mums with a name that helps avoid the whole apostrophe debate that plagues me on the second Sunday in May.<br />
<br />
And it also hopefully underlines something else - the end of my exams. On Thursday, I sat what was what I greatly wish to be my last ACCA exam, a test that consisted of three and a quarter hours scribbling about advanced taxation. It was basically a test of how many financial loopholes you can discover for rich people that are completely legal, with only 5 points out of 100 dealing with the ethics of such scenarios. In the revision kit the marker states many students miss out on these ethics points entirely, simply skipping that section of the long question - doesn't exactly fill me with confidence about the profession.<br />
<br />
With all that behind me, I now have hopefully a bit more time to devote to other pursuits, such as blogging and baking (Michael has kind of taken over the cooking lately). With us in charge of cakes after mass this week, I thought I'd put out a wee note to the mums to say that they'd get a free sweet treat if they came along on Sunday, and then I set to work.<br />
<br />
Last night I made a lemon drizzle cake, which sank in the middle. Not quite so much so as to be reclassified as lemon pudding, but that was certainly its intent.<br />
<br />
So then I made a carrot cake, only in the middle of measuring the flour, I had to go deal with a certain child who wouldn't wear their trainers (they were soaked from hockey practice), who didn't want to wear school shoes (it was still raining and girls' school shoes are terribly impractical in that respect for Scotland), who refused to wear wellies (she would look stupid, apparently), and who was having trouble squeezing her foot into a silver converse, as it was pinching her pinkie toe.<br />
<br />
That problem dealt with, I added more flour and was pretty sure, but not entirely sure, that I put in a cup too much flour. So the carrot cake is substandard. Cream cheese icing will make it all better. Lots of it.<br />
<br />
After those two mishaps I thought: I know - choc oat chip cookies! They always turn out perfectly, and it's so easy to just throw all the things into the food processor!<br />
<br />
So I was weighing out the oats and was fairly sure that there was more in the bowl than the scales were telling me, but there was another child crying about the fact that he didn't get as much jam as his sister so I didn't double check the measurement. The work surface wasn't exactly immaculate, so I believe some particle had wedged itself under one of the feet of my digital scales, throwing all accuracy to the wind. And then I put all the ingredients in the food processor, to which the machine said: "No. Get this s*** out of me" in its special loud way.<br />
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Sure enough, the mixture was crumbly and not at all cookie dough-like. Not quite sure how to fix it to get it back to what it <i>should</i> be, but also not willing to waste these ingredients that still tasted fairly good together, I put it into a big tray and pressed it down, in the hopes of making some cookie bars of sorts. After 20 or so minutes in the oven, my experiment emerged looking like this:<br />
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<img alt="" id="id_3aa2_91c7_242d_33f5" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZ2j4cPkOjbOG6L3w3YFXMSCYEqCy_PbnUnmdpjhfnru_n3V8r1bHUhWFqqNzyYzUnTTBgO-DEBz0RC5H6LK8w-J2AA7ujZTqt9fyK7bwIW2bXukiMdhhPs01CPOxGMbqbDIodr1su5I/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div>
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The tray came out smelling good, and the kids came into the room shouting - "oooh!!! Flapjacks!!!"<br />
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Flapjacks, American readers, mean chewy oat bars here, usually bound with golden syrup. They do not mean pancakes.<br />
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So yeah, I guess I made flapjacks for tomorrow. When in doubt, drizzle over more chocolate.<br />
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<img alt="" id="id_b892_5e8_8a0_4870" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTC24TMza83_pQCIHEh86jlJYzhuCLrOnvKtstAUMciBKvgZ9igSR7rRAHRP-_AmqnxLx71-n3z-hxs6veV3eg7R5iWOh5jjfEdMhGH_hDQ4K97Bqnv5XVlddvPhup9PpDhSvs9Fj4K1Y/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div>
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I had planned to make hot cross buns, too, but I don't think I could handle those failing on me.<br />
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In summary, baking this weekend has been much like motherhood - I knew exactly what I had to do as a mum until I had kids. Plans change, and the result is nothing like what you thought it would be, but you learn to improvise and make the best of it. Now I just need that written on a soft focus photo of a mother looking adoringly at her children...<br />
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Happy Mothering Sunday.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Don't ask me for the recipes. </span><br />
<br />Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-66388808178994103942018-03-01T10:58:00.001+00:002018-03-01T10:58:58.759+00:00Snow Day Cheese SconesHaving grown up in the American Midwest, I became accustomed to experiencing seasons. Summer was hot, spring flowery and changeable, autumn crisp, winter cold and snowy. You had separate wardrobes for each time of year, and both central heating and cool air conditioning were standard in most nearby houses.<br />
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So when I emigrated to Scotland, the biggest shock was that while the amount of daylight you get varies dramatically through the year, the weather barely changes. There is no summer wardrobe, nor are snow boots required.<br />
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Well, normally that is.<br />
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But if there is one thing that Napoleon and Hitler taught us, is was never to underestimate Russia. They have attacked our political processes, and now they have sent us their snow. Edinburgh is roughly the same latitude as Moscow, but normally we are spared harsh winters due to warm gulf weather swirling up to protect us. Don't ask me to explain it further, please.<br />
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But this year we are being invaded the "Beast from the East" which has given Scotland our first ever RED WARNING from the Met office, warning us that we may DIE if we choose to travel.<br />
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Banished from the schools, the kids now have their first ever snow days. Plural. Yesterday I had to go in and left my husband to man the fort, as I had to go into work with the other managers who commute by foot so that we all could learn about risk awareness. Oh the irony.<br />
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But today, the schools are off again so I must stay home with the children to ensure their well-being. The reality may be somewhat more like <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2003/12/22/let-it-snow" target="_blank">this</a>.<br />
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So as I try and attack my work emails without access to the one bit of software that I really need, while also playing Carcasonne with the littles (the eldest is NOT taking his loss very well) I also am coping by consuming these:<br />
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Our new office building has a cafe at ground level that sells cheese scones much prettier than mine, so if I just close my eyes, and block out the sound of the kids, I can pretend I am in the 16th century constructed surroundings of my calm, quiet workplace, just getting on with my regular, non-snow-day, paid employment.<br />
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Ahhhhh...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1xSnA393ZoC6wW-b76vkMJaefHJpSoaoisfeCov8z53FtwAblkRir7aA6U1V68Cneb8WZiVSp0xNqK2QqneDw5efSrI-o6LvNjuebBcWYdAK3oYOSPNOd6fsjp1yjGZk5BsLY37KYCTA/s640/blogger-image--1631895664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1xSnA393ZoC6wW-b76vkMJaefHJpSoaoisfeCov8z53FtwAblkRir7aA6U1V68Cneb8WZiVSp0xNqK2QqneDw5efSrI-o6LvNjuebBcWYdAK3oYOSPNOd6fsjp1yjGZk5BsLY37KYCTA/s640/blogger-image--1631895664.jpg" /></a></div>
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Wait, what's that noise?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNlvqfOJTaXUz1P1bT-8pizyuV2xvxmh70yeXJtEKrL6GIcT31bFdW7DFlkt1reAffGUsa7xOzXYJZZYvlIMOjekbKcT4ThQOYw2w9EkVO8bZaIT8CpskF5h7TYHPrSTnMErfACLYfn0/s640/blogger-image-302439547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNlvqfOJTaXUz1P1bT-8pizyuV2xvxmh70yeXJtEKrL6GIcT31bFdW7DFlkt1reAffGUsa7xOzXYJZZYvlIMOjekbKcT4ThQOYw2w9EkVO8bZaIT8CpskF5h7TYHPrSTnMErfACLYfn0/s640/blogger-image-302439547.jpg" /></a></div>
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Well, they are cute. And for some reason they want to be around me, poor things. I shall keep calm and carry on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwXDaVe0qXNYtx0xq_2qY8NhTjNeWpGUcnEIm8tdV2oWfYXTTB_kM36E0Em6OeZ0adw-0BtzNmScUwehOQbTWCNUkkeHMJbyDNRN82k088ureMKmSwXNfJ7HgOvrEpbJGfUiAFYI3a0M/s640/blogger-image-758834806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwXDaVe0qXNYtx0xq_2qY8NhTjNeWpGUcnEIm8tdV2oWfYXTTB_kM36E0Em6OeZ0adw-0BtzNmScUwehOQbTWCNUkkeHMJbyDNRN82k088ureMKmSwXNfJ7HgOvrEpbJGfUiAFYI3a0M/s200/blogger-image-758834806.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTEoPu6AfZ-2Hl2FNJGDYwC-2LFQX_nRZ1JBuGEOYcGw1VNStEUjhq6Q06tl5kaaMnWZvRtYo26l2RGDTmRq-kBKRhy78pbLpI7gOSzSwvwfWeISr8E_4Jfv_dPNKO63KWFdnxTv8QqQ/s640/blogger-image--679952642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTEoPu6AfZ-2Hl2FNJGDYwC-2LFQX_nRZ1JBuGEOYcGw1VNStEUjhq6Q06tl5kaaMnWZvRtYo26l2RGDTmRq-kBKRhy78pbLpI7gOSzSwvwfWeISr8E_4Jfv_dPNKO63KWFdnxTv8QqQ/s200/blogger-image--679952642.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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And the snow keeps falling.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4swgI3farJ67bSuqMcKYqZvlC5vFLR-wrCr_Ter6M4tvCUUmskyAGXvk54elUOCmmXUBzLtKtr0eI8PWiRLgORUBR19-pceCh9WR6TLWDov4W38jC5Bh8X6KdAvFSdlqLNahjMKeBiA/s1600/blogger-image--1296845007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="360" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4swgI3farJ67bSuqMcKYqZvlC5vFLR-wrCr_Ter6M4tvCUUmskyAGXvk54elUOCmmXUBzLtKtr0eI8PWiRLgORUBR19-pceCh9WR6TLWDov4W38jC5Bh8X6KdAvFSdlqLNahjMKeBiA/s640/blogger-image--1296845007.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, I know this is a pathetically small amount of snow that has caused us to shut down. I DID live in Minnesota for 4 years, you know.</td></tr>
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<strong>Snow Day Cheese Scones </strong></div>
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<strong>450g plain flour (or if using self-raising flour omit the baking powder)<br />6 tsp baking powder<br />1 tsp salt<br />1 tbsp English mustard powder (optional)<br />100g cold butter<br />250g strong hard cheese like mature red leicester or cheddar<br />2 tbsp finely chopped chives (optional)<br />120ml cold milk<br />120ml cold water<br />1 egg, beaten with a splash of milk</strong></div>
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Heat the oven to 220C. Put the flour, baking powder, salt and mustard powder into a large mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth and well combined.</div>
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Grate in the butter, then rub it in with your fingertips until it looks like wet sand.</div>
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Finely grate in 225g cheese, add the chives, and then stir to combine. Mix in the milk and water until the dough just comes away from the edge of the bowl; don’t handle it any more than is necessary. Tip on to a very lightly floured surface and flatten into a rectangle about 2.5cm high. Cut out with a fluted cutter (about 6cm wide for 12 scones), reshaping as necessary while handling the dough as little as possible.</div>
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Put on a baking tray and brush the egg and milk mixture. Grate the remaining cheese over the top and bake for about 12 minutes until golden. Allow to cool slightly on a rack before splitting open.</div>
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<br />Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-39887625705066954402018-01-02T10:23:00.001+00:002018-01-02T10:26:20.910+00:00Christmas Fruit Cake<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;">Fruitcakes were a running joke in the comic strips of my American youth. They were portrayed as the unwanted gift, the oddly imperishable foodstuff that unpopular relatives offered when they came to visit. Once received, it would go deep to the back of the cupboard where the strange, dense block would remain buried until the following year, when the recipient could gift it upon some new enemy</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCrziB4ZBssUcuUp52a64-mHphtSjkDWYRKrIrmcKu3WfKcMBEn9bNxckgxKW-UNd__7ggrcFvZ9FbyD29-2_1dyQYjN_ZaGMb3O6H4VS686dQ1bc9SzIDmIWQPo-rdrEnK7xV7HkFTs/s640/blogger-image--784868628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCrziB4ZBssUcuUp52a64-mHphtSjkDWYRKrIrmcKu3WfKcMBEn9bNxckgxKW-UNd__7ggrcFvZ9FbyD29-2_1dyQYjN_ZaGMb3O6H4VS686dQ1bc9SzIDmIWQPo-rdrEnK7xV7HkFTs/s640/blogger-image--784868628.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It looks like a ceiling fixture as I forgot to flip it before uploading. Blogger hasn't updated its app, so this process is taking a bit longer these days.</td></tr>
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My family, being of Australian origin, took some offence at these portrayals of this sacred celebratory food. My grandmother was proud of her fruitcake, making it for special occasions such as birthdays and weddings, decorating it with skill I could never possess (largely because the piping bag is my nemesis, and also because life is too short to draw lace onto a cake.) No slice was wasted; in fact, she once baked a birthday cake for her daughter-in-law's mother, but only if my mother would promise that a large portion of the cake would be taken back to America for her own son to eat. This was not requested as a favour, but instead given as an instruction not to be questioned, so after the party, under the critical eye of her family my mother dutifully wrapped the remaining cake in foil and clingfilm, packing the parcel in her bags to travel back across the Pacific Ocean where the cake was scoffed down in a matter of seconds. </div>
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Now I live in the UK, where Christmas Cake usually means fruitcake, and traditional wedding cakes are studded with currants. Times are changing; most families prefer a chocolate yule log to a Christmas pudding, and a sponge to a fruitcake for their matrimonial vows. At our own wedding some 12 years ago, I made two separate cakes: a fruit cake for the Baby Boomers and beyond, a lemon sponge for the younger ones. While everyone still seems to enjoy a mince pie at Christmas, fewer insist on a slice of fruitcake, so it was mostly out of a sense of nostalgia that I decided to tackle one this year. </div>
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According to tradition, one must begin the process in November at the latest, soaking your fruit in booze for days, weeks, even months before mixing it into your eggy batter. That just doesn't happen in my house. I don't really get in the mood to even being prepping things until mid-December, and by then it seems like a lost hope to attempt a cake according to these stern rules from years gone by.</div>
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But then recently I was speaking to a fellow baker who revealed her secret - she never makes her cake in advance! She may soak the fruit for a while, but overnight has served fine on many an occasion, and her cakes always go down a treat with guests and family alike. Right, I thought, this I can do.</div>
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So she passed me the recipe and I looked at the recipe versus what I had in my cupboards. I should add that it was New Year's Eve and I wasn't in the mood for going to the shops unnecessarily. So I made a few modifications: </div>
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<strong style="color: #333333;">To soak</strong></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;">200g </span><span style="color: red; text-decoration: line-through;">prunes</span> apricots<span style="color: #333333;"> chopped</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;">300g currants</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;">100g glace cherries, chopped</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;">150g dried </span><span style="color: red; text-decoration: line-through;">figs</span> dates<span style="color: #333333;">, chopped</span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><strike>175ml s</strike></span><strike style="color: red;">tout</strike> the better part of a bottle of rank mass produced ale that someone brought over as a joke a couple months ago</div>
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<strong style="color: #333333;">For the cake</strong></div>
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175g unsalted butter, softened</div>
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175g soft light brown sugar</div>
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4 large eggs</div>
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<span style="color: #333333;">2 tbsp</span><span style="color: red;"><strike> black treacle </strike></span><span style="color: #333333;">molasses</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;">Zest of 1 orange</span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><strike>125g dark rye flour</strike></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><strike><span style="color: red;">50g plain flour </span></strike><span style="color: #333333;"> 50g + 125g = 175g plain flour</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;">2 tsp </span><strike style="color: red;">mixed spice</strike> pumpkin spice</div>
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<span style="color: #333333;">1½ tsp baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;">¼ tsp salt</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;">75g </span><strike style="color: red;">blanched hazelnuts, finely chopped </strike> Brazil nuts, chopped. Kind of. </div>
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So yes, I changed about half of the ingredients. But the spirit of the recipe was still the same, surely?</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwS0AbHvNurLA5TpsNs0yPXNqm700_Vmr5awxdc6PiAO7cryKQNz0iwFbor2EZ3doEdeeu-FOJpAY2kmy-h3KkA0OJdagxpN3S4LWKRILKLhDirfAVEarkeYXBFC9YYG1xFYlQ2exw6Q/s640/blogger-image--558743394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwS0AbHvNurLA5TpsNs0yPXNqm700_Vmr5awxdc6PiAO7cryKQNz0iwFbor2EZ3doEdeeu-FOJpAY2kmy-h3KkA0OJdagxpN3S4LWKRILKLhDirfAVEarkeYXBFC9YYG1xFYlQ2exw6Q/s640/blogger-image--558743394.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boozy fruit. I had to remove a dinosaur egg from this vessel before use. It's ok, the dinosaur has hatched.</td></tr>
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After assembling the fruit and soaking it overnight, it was time to start the great mix-up. Butter is never "room temperature" at our place, as our flat is rarely warm enough to bring anything to a soft temperature. I could have played a dangerous dance with the microwave, but instead decided to attack the brown sugar and butter with the pastry blender, then the wooden spoon.</div>
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After than, in went 4 eggs. There are always lots of warnings about how to prevent your mixture curdling at this point, but I never find them even remotely successful. I just let it curdle, knowing it will be just fine, as Mary Berry looks at me with disappointment and disapproval</div>
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One of my favourite "hacks" is greasing a spoon before putting in a sticky syrup like molasses or treacle. You just pour in a spoonful of oil into the spoon, then pour it back into the oil, then use the spoon for your choice of tar-like substance. Look how it just plops out of the spoon into the batter! Very satisfying, I tell you.</div>
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Then went in some zest, some dry ingredients, mix-y mix-y, choppy nutsy.</div>
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Then, the finale: the boozy fruit.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6P9UqcriyKNuTzU9iw2AuktI8UX__4ssKpzia0CfLoL1772qqF1nqPFyU08U3YDd89tloc8l1iR1z4eFlSXPdOTgirmkQ0NkHBGRo9z1kdxnD3MjGXl190wHMuFd3M0c5KdIcLkAJ55U/s640/blogger-image-1552739700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6P9UqcriyKNuTzU9iw2AuktI8UX__4ssKpzia0CfLoL1772qqF1nqPFyU08U3YDd89tloc8l1iR1z4eFlSXPdOTgirmkQ0NkHBGRo9z1kdxnD3MjGXl190wHMuFd3M0c5KdIcLkAJ55U/s640/blogger-image-1552739700.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dear God, sweet Jesus that is a lot of fruit.</td></tr>
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At this point you lovingly gather your family round, making sure each family member takes the spoon and gives one stir to the mixture before pouring it into the tin.</div>
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Well, you think of it, but then you realise the children are being awfully quiet and good with their electronic babysitters, so you just ignore that step and bash it all together yourself. The tin for this, unlike most of my other tins, is silver rather than black in colour so as to conduct less heat, and this cake is treated to a double lining in an attempt to prevent any scorching. Why? Because this baby goes in the oven for no less than three and a half hours at a low heat, that's why. This ain't no rush job. I literally climbed up a mountain and returned back while this was in the oven and had time to spare.</div>
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It was a small mountain.</div>
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Now, halfway through, I did take it out of the oven and cover the top to prevent burning, but it seems that the fan in my oven decided to be particularly vicious, and my protective foil was ripped off and tossed around the oven. Naturally I didn't discover this until the damage had been done.</div>
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It didn't look too bad at first, but then it continued to cook outside the oven and I decided further measures needed to be taken.</div>
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If you look carefully, you'll see a knife slicing the top off the cake on the right. The thing was, even the scorched bit didn't actually taste burnt, AND I got to sample the cake pre-decoration. A win-win. So yes, always a good idea to trim cakes.</div>
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I then carefully whipped up a batch of marzipan.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8aT8hatTXWQQ0RvJuyKKmGIaU3AnVgKJ9PTpcPpIRXfK-iehF3LpuFQMW5GRT6oEbHK9lDK-ngJ4wXdiNBzhw4YrUO7HPHyF181ldgXPFJgpMnVaC6NkNRDejXIptK0of1AJGuO6gE0/s640/blogger-image--1820016452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8aT8hatTXWQQ0RvJuyKKmGIaU3AnVgKJ9PTpcPpIRXfK-iehF3LpuFQMW5GRT6oEbHK9lDK-ngJ4wXdiNBzhw4YrUO7HPHyF181ldgXPFJgpMnVaC6NkNRDejXIptK0of1AJGuO6gE0/s640/blogger-image--1820016452.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trust me, I made it once myself and it was not worth it in the slightest.</td></tr>
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Then it was a simple matter of heating apricot jam, eating the heated jam, then heating more apricot jam and spreading it on the cake to help the marzipan stick.</div>
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Then it was time to roll out marzipan and pretend I knew how to decorate a cake</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcZhEimkXjZxgpkhAkVRyrNfXt89XRhcjTyO-jymgcjy9q4UjFYq-oUQHm4sZ7yyImspnnqk2p57LJqjWx3suSMVBYZ2A3Db7K63vQ1GXEBV5SaPionO6Ug6CZXl1XQAAUD5tk1JXDndI/s640/blogger-image--2017643724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcZhEimkXjZxgpkhAkVRyrNfXt89XRhcjTyO-jymgcjy9q4UjFYq-oUQHm4sZ7yyImspnnqk2p57LJqjWx3suSMVBYZ2A3Db7K63vQ1GXEBV5SaPionO6Ug6CZXl1XQAAUD5tk1JXDndI/s320/blogger-image--2017643724.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just doing the ironing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHgfXG4f6krb1muCP5lM0Xd-WiE3zi6OI4c6hncSrPkd1Nw5B_TqcUXF3QEeOSpBUXN5-3qmDBe-9RUuPHOfNRdTV3OKEIEWa5P0V0rIEDkd8Hiq-7QwfHvQEmMngBU_R5RhV4FBpvQE/s640/blogger-image--133272163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHgfXG4f6krb1muCP5lM0Xd-WiE3zi6OI4c6hncSrPkd1Nw5B_TqcUXF3QEeOSpBUXN5-3qmDBe-9RUuPHOfNRdTV3OKEIEWa5P0V0rIEDkd8Hiq-7QwfHvQEmMngBU_R5RhV4FBpvQE/s320/blogger-image--133272163.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a ghost!!</td></tr>
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I then sort of tried trimming it and decorating it</div>
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And this was the end result. I don't see any point in fondant or royal icing - they taste of nothing but sugar, so in the words of Prue Leith they simply aren't worth the calories.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCrziB4ZBssUcuUp52a64-mHphtSjkDWYRKrIrmcKu3WfKcMBEn9bNxckgxKW-UNd__7ggrcFvZ9FbyD29-2_1dyQYjN_ZaGMb3O6H4VS686dQ1bc9SzIDmIWQPo-rdrEnK7xV7HkFTs/s640/blogger-image--784868628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCrziB4ZBssUcuUp52a64-mHphtSjkDWYRKrIrmcKu3WfKcMBEn9bNxckgxKW-UNd__7ggrcFvZ9FbyD29-2_1dyQYjN_ZaGMb3O6H4VS686dQ1bc9SzIDmIWQPo-rdrEnK7xV7HkFTs/s640/blogger-image--784868628.jpg" /></a></div>
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My children keep looking at it, confused. "Why is there dough on the outside?" "When are you going to bake it?" "What IS that?" </div>
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Obviously another great success. </div>
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<h2 style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "guardian egyptian web", "guardian text egyptian web", georgia, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; line-height: 1.5rem; margin: 1.6875rem 0px 0.0625rem; text-align: left;">
<strong><a class="u-underline" data-link-name="in body link" href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/jan/23/bad-fad-ruby-tandoh-on-how-clean-eating-turned-toxic" style="background: transparent; border-bottom: 0.0625rem solid rgb(220, 220, 220); color: #005689; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none !important; touch-action: manipulation; transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out;">Ruby Tandoh</a>’s easy fig and ale Christmas cake (yes, I know)</strong></h2>
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This is a last-minute affair compared with <a class="u-underline" data-link-name="in body link" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/classic_christmas_cake_04076" style="background: transparent; border-bottom: 0.0625rem solid rgb(220, 220, 220); color: #005689; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none !important; touch-action: manipulation; transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out;">many</a> Christmas cakes – but you should still soak the fruit overnight or at least for a few hours. It is still moist, dark and rich, and made in a fraction of the time it might usually take.</div>
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<strong>To soak</strong></div>
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200g prunes, chopped</div>
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300g currants</div>
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100g glace cherries, chopped</div>
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150g dried figs, chopped</div>
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175ml stout</div>
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<strong>For the cake</strong></div>
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175g unsalted butter, softened</div>
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175g soft light brown sugar</div>
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4 large eggs</div>
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2 tbsp black treacle</div>
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Zest of 1 orange</div>
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125g dark rye flour</div>
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50g plain flour</div>
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2 tsp mixed spice</div>
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1½ tsp baking powder</div>
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¼ tsp salt</div>
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75g blanched hazelnuts, finely chopped</div>
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<strong>1</strong> The day before you make the cake, combine the fruit in a bowl and douse with the stout (a good porter or, at a push, brown ale will suffice, but the mellow, chocolatey depth of stout is best). Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave overnight – or at least for a good few hours – until the fruit has absorbed most of the liquid.</div>
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<strong>2</strong> The next day, when you’re ready to make the cake batter, preheat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2, line a deep, 20cm round cake tin with baking parchment and wrap the outside in a couple of layers of foil to prevent the cake’s edge from drying during the long baking time.</div>
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<strong>3</strong> Cream the butter and sugar together until completely smooth then, one by one, add the eggs. The mixture is likely to curdle a little at this point, but don’t panic: just add 2 tbsp or so of plain flour to smooth the mix. Stir in the treacle and zest. In a separate bowl, combine the flours, mixed spice, baking powder and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until roughly combined.</div>
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<strong>4</strong> Add the hazelnuts to the batter along with the soaked fruit mixture (including any stout left unabsorbed). Combine thoroughly. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and place on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for 3½-4 hours, or until a small knife inserted into the centre of the cake emerges clean. If the top of the cake begins to darken too deeply during the baking time, just cover with foil.</div>
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<strong>5</strong> Once baked, let the cake cool completely in its tin before decorating. It could take overnight to cool, but it’s crucial to wait until it’s stone cold before slicing. It will continue to firm, set and mellow as it approaches room temperature. Decorate it (or not) however you please.</div>
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Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-77256035198355706722017-12-24T14:45:00.002+00:002017-12-24T14:45:30.892+00:00Mince Pies<br />
This morning, our family were doing their best to appear holy by attending our local Catholic mass. The children wriggled, the hymns were quietly sung off key, and as we finished, the priest issued welcomes to all the prodigal children come home, instructing them to come to teas, coffees, and cake after the service so that he could chat to them. This was met by whispering and huge gesticulations.<br />
"Oh," he said as his face fell. "No coffee and cake?" He paused, looking around, his eyes pleading to be told otherwise. "Well, that's ruined my Sunday." He blessed us and we shuffled out into the cold December air.<br />
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It does seem odd, with Christmas being such a food centred holiday, that such an opportunity to issue baked goods to the masses was missed. The organisers assumed that the congregation would want to rush off to purchase pigs in blankets, to wrap their last few presents, rather than enjoy a few moments with each other on this holy weekend. The out of town relatives gathered outside for a brief moment, murmuring their disappointment, then vanished around the corner into their respective vehicles, a few declaring they would try the nearby coffee shop that had opened recently.<br />
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As we watched them disappear, we sighed. We are having a quiet Christmas this year, so I am not rushing about. There is no bedding to organise, no extra guests to cater for, no car to pack up. Just the five of us trying not to kill each other.<br />
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I say no extra guests to cater for, but there is one exception: Father Christmas. As a child, I usually left out a cookie or two for Santa, with milk to wash it down, plus a carrot and perhaps some nuts and raisins for Rudolph. Here, it appears that Father Christmas has somewhat more sophisticated tastes, preferring mince pies to cookies, and whisky or sherry to milk. Rudolph likes carrots the world round, it seems.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2cLxNrJ2d1hurAVOR2OdRrQCyhEkHOQhNXsWD66LXG2fZXOSSiE_83_tiqfNhLNIHe0Hf_ArlFHXVql-QqHY2lKSiPO8vkCzGsNLurB6YM3nrARZIpMaJi-kyHOIL-vfjTm-UcZ-H4h0/s640/blogger-image--2111739143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2cLxNrJ2d1hurAVOR2OdRrQCyhEkHOQhNXsWD66LXG2fZXOSSiE_83_tiqfNhLNIHe0Hf_ArlFHXVql-QqHY2lKSiPO8vkCzGsNLurB6YM3nrARZIpMaJi-kyHOIL-vfjTm-UcZ-H4h0/s640/blogger-image--2111739143.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The end result</td></tr>
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In the past, I have always been content to buy the pies, having never tasted a bad supermarket one. I mean, Mr Kipling does make exceedingly good cakes. But on Friday, when I asked the kids what they wanted to do THAT WAS FREE this Christmas holiday, Christopher piped up that we wanted to do some cooking. Plus, having been in on a mums Christmas conversation recently with a couple mothers who do ALL the things, I had a few tips on what to do to make mince pies tasty, namely scooping mincemeat from a shop-bought jar and adding a couple extra ingredients to pimp up your pies. So I figured, why not? This year, we would make Santa's snack from scratch. Sort of.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mincemeat taken to the next level</td></tr>
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So Lidl provided the jar of Brandy-laced mincemeat, into which I grated a wrinkly apple and to which I added the last few pistachios out of a packet, the zest of a clementine, the zest of half a lemon, and a handful of tired looking sultanas. "That looks disgusting!" my daughter exclaimed. I can't say I disagreed with her. I mean, look at it.<br />
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I made the pastry, and rolled it out, trying to keep the kids' fingers off of it. You know how occasionally, just <i>occasionally</i>, you go through your cupboards to clear out things you don't really need? Well, recently I did just that and looked critically at a range of circle cutters that I hadn't taken out in at least a year. I kept them in the end, and now I can fully justify retaining them in my kitchen cupboards of doom, because they were officially used for something culinary in 2017! An official stay of execution for these beasts.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUa4b3-g31m7Mf5kE298WVIObZhi2ir8sJ1pBM_RK2hf0mZ6dEDUuU3EKo6U0yrqjSofgCU-jcUle0zc5YtPMGDMj1gg847q0TxA7lirTWDM2lEb8cni4I1dq5TWVAfJg1vieiK5ltFhE/s640/blogger-image--2127760428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUa4b3-g31m7Mf5kE298WVIObZhi2ir8sJ1pBM_RK2hf0mZ6dEDUuU3EKo6U0yrqjSofgCU-jcUle0zc5YtPMGDMj1gg847q0TxA7lirTWDM2lEb8cni4I1dq5TWVAfJg1vieiK5ltFhE/s640/blogger-image--2127760428.jpg" /></a></div>
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Ok, so I should have used the crinkly side for both the bottom and the tops of the pies. And not let these two anywhere near:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNb5wge1TNZQYfqhlnE2HAyG5hbTxxI1ptXBFvFKr15qCNZZs_ggTiPP3trJrlOHelCerYE3i4-HT8sHmOCux0JnO4YEwFLijknc_IKotWv-3TiBznUkl9eKYfhhqUlTbB7ewUVMvxxU/s640/blogger-image-834731792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNb5wge1TNZQYfqhlnE2HAyG5hbTxxI1ptXBFvFKr15qCNZZs_ggTiPP3trJrlOHelCerYE3i4-HT8sHmOCux0JnO4YEwFLijknc_IKotWv-3TiBznUkl9eKYfhhqUlTbB7ewUVMvxxU/s640/blogger-image-834731792.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catherine loves the camera on her phone that doesn't work as a phone in this country.</td></tr>
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Their presence is why I don't have any photos of the filling of the pies. No, they couldn't have taken photos, be quiet.<br />
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The jar stretched to 12 pies, the pastry covered them all quite happily with some scraps left in the fridge to be found months from now after they have been slowly edged to the back by other, more recently used items.<br />
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Into a hot oven they went for 17 minutes, and when they came out they were easily extracted from the muffin pan to cool on a rack where Robert stared at them suspiciously.<br />
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This was only the second time I'd ever made mince pies, and the last time I used puff pastry. I prefer shortcrust pastry fo sho. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2cLxNrJ2d1hurAVOR2OdRrQCyhEkHOQhNXsWD66LXG2fZXOSSiE_83_tiqfNhLNIHe0Hf_ArlFHXVql-QqHY2lKSiPO8vkCzGsNLurB6YM3nrARZIpMaJi-kyHOIL-vfjTm-UcZ-H4h0/s640/blogger-image--2111739143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2cLxNrJ2d1hurAVOR2OdRrQCyhEkHOQhNXsWD66LXG2fZXOSSiE_83_tiqfNhLNIHe0Hf_ArlFHXVql-QqHY2lKSiPO8vkCzGsNLurB6YM3nrARZIpMaJi-kyHOIL-vfjTm-UcZ-H4h0/s640/blogger-image--2111739143.jpg" /></a><br />
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<br />
It quickly became apparent that none of my children wanted to actually <i>eat</i> any mince pies. Christopher had made mixed berry muffins this morning (under my supervision from across the room) which they all preferred to re-attack rather than sample any of my pastries.<br />
<br />
Well, <i>someone</i> had to try them, and Michael was asleep.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguKNyLMwYoOv7GZ5CRuNqMe6jNU_Ip71RvJOYTEtuYtQks2EI1c_N6w6axRkDlQ5aRU6M1sdq9bm0RZK-suanyXnfd0pvnbz1OtIgL1O3g8822KvXK4e1j4YC0hD3oo09uvdrn5Q6tLs4/s640/blogger-image-1263779946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguKNyLMwYoOv7GZ5CRuNqMe6jNU_Ip71RvJOYTEtuYtQks2EI1c_N6w6axRkDlQ5aRU6M1sdq9bm0RZK-suanyXnfd0pvnbz1OtIgL1O3g8822KvXK4e1j4YC0hD3oo09uvdrn5Q6tLs4/s640/blogger-image-1263779946.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">None of the china matches, as I am <i>really</i> good at breaking stuff. Expert level.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />It was most satisfactory.<br /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_3Gqr0m6A2O4cjPphMqMTl4hGTNSmVC41CSRJXmVqeWKilKF6nDBWRiSden6eNcP9ZIEq-iLTTRfcZz9ZncnY_G6e_ZKuR38NMFfeQiFq9mytE0RIgpsoEeAJ_dtDLJTglP8EkAJmTg/s640/blogger-image--882808763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_3Gqr0m6A2O4cjPphMqMTl4hGTNSmVC41CSRJXmVqeWKilKF6nDBWRiSden6eNcP9ZIEq-iLTTRfcZz9ZncnY_G6e_ZKuR38NMFfeQiFq9mytE0RIgpsoEeAJ_dtDLJTglP8EkAJmTg/s640/blogger-image--882808763.jpg" /></a></div>
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So if you need a pie to leave out for Father Christmas, drop me a line. I've got 10 to spare. </div>
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Hope you all have a Happy Christmas!</div>
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<br />
Recipe:<br />
<br />
1 recipe shortcrust pastry (I use Joy of Cooking's recipe, but you could just buy some)<br />
1 jar mincemeat<br />
1 small apple<br />
zest from 1 clementine<br />
zest from 1 lemon<br />
handful of shelled pistachios<br />
handful of sultanas or raisins<br />
Any other exciting ingredients that work in a mince pie.<br />
Caster sugar<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 220C Roll out pastry, cut with circle cutter big enough to fill the middle and sides of a muffin tin. Fill a dozen wells, then pop the muffin tray in the fridge while you work on the mincemeat. Empty the jar into a bowl, then peel and grate the apple into it, and add the rest of the ingredients, giving it a quick stir. Take the muffin tray out, then fill them with even amounts of the mixture. Cut out circles, stars, whatever for tops of the pies. Listen to your daughter complain that they aren't pretty enough and don't have a fancy design. Mutter to yourself as you sprinkle sugar over the pies, then put in the oven for 15-20 minutes, turning halfway through. Remove from tin and put onto cooling rack, then make some tea and eat one. Keep one aside for Santa, and dispose of the rest however you see fit.Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-44644057407616957232016-11-12T18:27:00.000+00:002016-11-12T18:27:47.166+00:00Cheddar SconesSharing. It is one of the key components of being a parent, and it does not come easily to my when I am at my most gluttonous. But I have a secret weapon, and it is cheese.<br />
<br />
Yes, cheese. Isn't it a miracle that curdled, rotten milk can be made into something so glorious? Christmas is coming, so cheddar, camembert, and stilton are everywhere, and that is a wonderful thing. Unless you are my eldest son, who, for reasons unbeknownst to me, has no appetite for the stuff. None. In fact, if he tastes cheese, he suffers a gag reflex, which is just <i>great</i> at parties, let me tell you. So while other families put cheese on and in food in order to entice their children to eat it, I must do the opposite. But you see, I can also flip it round: if I want something ALL TO MYSELF, I can just add cheese! Once his siblings see his reaction, they often follow suit in food refusal, meaning I get whatever it is all to myself, and I don't have to hide in the cupboard to eat it either.<br />
<br />
And recently I have developed a slight addiction to cheese scones.<br />
<br />
Whenever I can, I escape our flat to get some study time sans enfants, and the place I usual go is a hipster type farmshop plus cafe located 10 minutes walk from our place. And the best time to go is the first hour they are open in the morning. Why? Because that is when the scones come out of the oven. I don't even bother checking what kind are being offered anymore (they offer one sweet and one savoury kind each day, and there is no routine to them), so I just ask for a savoury one and wait patiently for the piece of art to appear. The scone arrives steaming on the table, hot to the touch, meaning the butter melts and soaks into every nook and cranny. Heaven, I tell you. And highly addictive.<br />
<br />
So I thought I'd try and recreate some of the magic at home. I haven't quite moved up to the artisan level of their creations, but it was still pretty awesome, and NO ONE ELSE WANTED ANY!! Which meant I could eat one and freeze the other three for future self indulgence.<br />
<br />
Ok, freeze two. They were really good.<br />
<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXdc-rV3KwVt0hxGzOMd_2qv2z58Eg9NtseTLk5iO96vGTWcEYI97pJ0D44_ju2_OtGPVMMQONJP2JN78BuSbDyYbH2kT-lNAa_NhDuHLBmfs0IaoXGWzAcG3ybj-BOpd3pYM0r4F4Z5M/s640/blogger-image--1004633133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXdc-rV3KwVt0hxGzOMd_2qv2z58Eg9NtseTLk5iO96vGTWcEYI97pJ0D44_ju2_OtGPVMMQONJP2JN78BuSbDyYbH2kT-lNAa_NhDuHLBmfs0IaoXGWzAcG3ybj-BOpd3pYM0r4F4Z5M/s640/blogger-image--1004633133.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheese on top and cheese within</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkS-fTHIoHRrfwmJqnM6MSa3N_HluVpje8tIm6-ExVUGMHbYwFSQAitqAQouC_IQmp-7BwMfR593iNPh6n4d3wM8wSfS0RGnpjWaeeON39YNW5mipZYkAOSZV3MeB8sdZhuaajKiUbKYU/s640/blogger-image-1522496684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkS-fTHIoHRrfwmJqnM6MSa3N_HluVpje8tIm6-ExVUGMHbYwFSQAitqAQouC_IQmp-7BwMfR593iNPh6n4d3wM8wSfS0RGnpjWaeeON39YNW5mipZYkAOSZV3MeB8sdZhuaajKiUbKYU/s320/blogger-image-1522496684.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 4 babies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMjXHHy6w3Mvpn2jz11AcgEr_lCkOTFRleQk5R7VSqMK-ci04rYeP7dIoyz4hHarrDlgjrK-ULxUMvHFS_c_QVQxdmDhd5Wjd1CIaCPZ1DFG-J-BOigtU0TyNgaZzrvDT7iHafmpLzdE/s640/blogger-image-64383033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMjXHHy6w3Mvpn2jz11AcgEr_lCkOTFRleQk5R7VSqMK-ci04rYeP7dIoyz4hHarrDlgjrK-ULxUMvHFS_c_QVQxdmDhd5Wjd1CIaCPZ1DFG-J-BOigtU0TyNgaZzrvDT7iHafmpLzdE/s640/blogger-image-64383033.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butter makes it better</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1666638/classic-cheese-scones" target="_blank">Here's</a> the recipe I tried, with more milk than it says. Still needs tweaking, and I think I may add some seeds for crunch next time...<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Ingredients: </div>
<div>
225g self raising flour </div>
<div>
Pinch salt </div>
<div>
Pinch cayenne pepper </div>
<div>
1 tsp baking powder </div>
<div>
55g butter </div>
<div>
100g cheddar cheese </div>
<div>
80-90 ml milk, plus extra for glazing </div>
<div>
Extra cheese for topping the scones</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Method
Preheat oven with the baking tray inside to 200.C
(slightly less for fan ovens). In a mediumlarge bowl sift
together the flour, salt, cayenne pepper and baking
powder. Sift again to make sure the ingredients are
thoroughly combined.
Cut the butter into cubes, place in the bowl and then
mix with your fingertips to make breadcrumbs. Sprinkle
the grated cheese into the breadcrumb mixture and rub in
until the cheese is evenly distributed. Try not to mix too
much as the heat from your hands may start to melt the
cheese.
Make a well in the centre of the mixture and pour in
enough milk to give a fairly soft but firm dough. Do not
pour in all the milk at once as you may not need it all to
get the right consistency.
Lightly flour a surface and roll out the dough to
approximately 2cm thick. Cut out the scones with a
medium cutter and then place on the hot oven tray. Glaze
the tops with the extra milk and sprinkle a little cheese on
the top of each scone before putting in the oven.
Bake in the oven for 10-15min</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-56167693702646078442016-10-30T14:56:00.002+00:002016-10-30T14:56:48.813+00:00Auntie Jennifen's Chocolate Cake<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9IzZLkON3RIV9hwZTPWRXuHSm5n1_tOjY10rE2ltTU9LRgmvbtLdyUcoCzgrN86i6B-ZT9iCjPHhPb_9qIqLGg9z3CFEIA1UtTjfj4-iIfsvguuZVPu7hYjcqOfVT06_wdy1l2uGhb6Y/s640/blogger-image-1485489761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9IzZLkON3RIV9hwZTPWRXuHSm5n1_tOjY10rE2ltTU9LRgmvbtLdyUcoCzgrN86i6B-ZT9iCjPHhPb_9qIqLGg9z3CFEIA1UtTjfj4-iIfsvguuZVPu7hYjcqOfVT06_wdy1l2uGhb6Y/s640/blogger-image-1485489761.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
School holidays, that time of year when you slow down, relax, eat healthy, and accomplish great things.<br />
<br />
HA! Just kidding.<br />
<br />
You hire a cheap, duct taped car, drive a distance to go and see lots of family members (and some breathtaking scenery), then stuff your face every half hour all day, every day. You get nothing productive done, and then wonder why your clothes feel all tight and you are behind on your studies...<br />
<br />
But it's worth it because you get to taste some pretty amazing chocolate cake - not too rich, just the right amount of chocolate, and, er, MOIST! And handily, your sister-in-law not only HAS the recipe, she is willing to share it.<br />
<br />
Now, you don't just make this cake on any old kind of day. No, you wait for one of those days when you are running late to pick up your youngest child, after which you need to go and pick up your other two, and you head into the shops to make sure you have lunch and other bits and bobs needed and you get to the self scanning till and realise...you don't actually have your purse with you. You know exactly where it is, now that you think about it (note: never change bags, ever) but that isn't going to help you pay for the basket of shopping that you don't have time to come back and get later. One of those days where you also find out the school has planned the individual photo portraits for Hallowe'en, and that happens to be when your son's class will be skiing for half the day, and your daughter's class is having a costume party. One of those days when you work for a ghost tour company and things are going a bit mental. This is the perfect sort of day to make a chocolate cake.<br />
<br />
So yes, after children were collected and fed (eventually) I gathered ingredients together and started throwing them into a bowl.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_We894KaO6asBeonus1LmOa3iCR7F2hP0SdVDKFf6yUiIYF7TKSQjwDRLDWajw0uTO8lJbNGc5zvK2qmJ7tGmbbA1dk7WhfEEVzOSpxZHZXRtM8PcAq-O_f6ndiQpakrGgTzR0omHIA/s640/blogger-image--646187107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_We894KaO6asBeonus1LmOa3iCR7F2hP0SdVDKFf6yUiIYF7TKSQjwDRLDWajw0uTO8lJbNGc5zvK2qmJ7tGmbbA1dk7WhfEEVzOSpxZHZXRtM8PcAq-O_f6ndiQpakrGgTzR0omHIA/s640/blogger-image--646187107.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bubble, bubble, toil, and trouble...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And I began to mix.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxQcbEVPgeYFQVja-kvv-xSD39vNVi9KN75PSklaNQKH_0eur7u9KBqNr9YebsoUVSftHooLhvyHNGENTOimtzjAoblmsy0Csz-JFNUPyCo8triuEfCpUzYw1Mgq_eym6erOa1qqYBcM/s640/blogger-image-693348205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxQcbEVPgeYFQVja-kvv-xSD39vNVi9KN75PSklaNQKH_0eur7u9KBqNr9YebsoUVSftHooLhvyHNGENTOimtzjAoblmsy0Csz-JFNUPyCo8triuEfCpUzYw1Mgq_eym6erOa1qqYBcM/s640/blogger-image-693348205.jpg" /></a></div>
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Then I poured in boiling water and mixed some more.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gukngpqgjhZCqvuJKhvLRpcKgdm-zANjkIO8UR60kQri4zh7tYESMF_zS2nnxOoAdnCfFBGLrGzMBOZjyh7F_dmdxv5AiTsjghkRMrUs3Yo2ZJyqo7QfnJLoaGQj7veh0YcxHTwpzLE/s640/blogger-image-364004525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gukngpqgjhZCqvuJKhvLRpcKgdm-zANjkIO8UR60kQri4zh7tYESMF_zS2nnxOoAdnCfFBGLrGzMBOZjyh7F_dmdxv5AiTsjghkRMrUs3Yo2ZJyqo7QfnJLoaGQj7veh0YcxHTwpzLE/s640/blogger-image-364004525.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Until I had this beautiful, runny batter in front of me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29IZURG7yI1S9J2AJssKUlbMaHxfxrJ23-mt_KNr8KV2CsenDbCZzaz1iO1sE1p0RH5KQN0IcKzecW7DfG2ZVfLqpi1mAMEtzS6lQGjgfIakNZpidkUPZ6JjxraEIk-b-66BadXj7_QA/s640/blogger-image-110299071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29IZURG7yI1S9J2AJssKUlbMaHxfxrJ23-mt_KNr8KV2CsenDbCZzaz1iO1sE1p0RH5KQN0IcKzecW7DfG2ZVfLqpi1mAMEtzS6lQGjgfIakNZpidkUPZ6JjxraEIk-b-66BadXj7_QA/s640/blogger-image-110299071.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Funnily enough, some people arrived to help me with it.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlsHMl8tF-s6CPjy-TJvU-6956IjKmTvBSFjegH4oGwpGDg1TWL_7uGvN7EPGa6S6AF0EUyR6hoGGYEBXjqdAbnE-qVe3S9jLQiKNTdJBb8jHdNNDTFG-1cw3Jx4_N2rYhQDP7NZIrSg/s640/blogger-image-864653068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlsHMl8tF-s6CPjy-TJvU-6956IjKmTvBSFjegH4oGwpGDg1TWL_7uGvN7EPGa6S6AF0EUyR6hoGGYEBXjqdAbnE-qVe3S9jLQiKNTdJBb8jHdNNDTFG-1cw3Jx4_N2rYhQDP7NZIrSg/s640/blogger-image-864653068.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My daughter's top is great for hiding stains, I was relieved to discover</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It was poured into two tins, in uneven quantities, naturally, and then they grew to unnatural sizes.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHzOU8qla96BF2QJxotklkZSrdWQwGdr3FPCX5ZZYaaGdjjfSJZuN7YKmytvj7jKyVuKg2w38clhyphenhyphenNV_I3f-kKFYzxKXQ_PuWwYGpgxjAZds5U2dxxSKJe04x7fIm53u1eFPB4lJxtog/s640/blogger-image-1699189557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHzOU8qla96BF2QJxotklkZSrdWQwGdr3FPCX5ZZYaaGdjjfSJZuN7YKmytvj7jKyVuKg2w38clhyphenhyphenNV_I3f-kKFYzxKXQ_PuWwYGpgxjAZds5U2dxxSKJe04x7fIm53u1eFPB4lJxtog/s200/blogger-image-1699189557.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">And, because I am such a skilled baker, they sank a bit.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuO4cyTZYiFcbckj7dB_QG-4zTPaIBWlf2dFczu8n65pY43igHpLLkmIhCk8bNNC9TKj72ofOPixKhFxcBnjPadx_JI3kPFns9NTHz8sSaWQjpsei0JlmQxaSlSloPfov04UYeefsWbFU/s640/blogger-image--1928554098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuO4cyTZYiFcbckj7dB_QG-4zTPaIBWlf2dFczu8n65pY43igHpLLkmIhCk8bNNC9TKj72ofOPixKhFxcBnjPadx_JI3kPFns9NTHz8sSaWQjpsei0JlmQxaSlSloPfov04UYeefsWbFU/s200/blogger-image--1928554098.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPM9j8i8i8KYX7waanthYEgJ-vjuhgjGw4-_Rg2hOuuM15uApVEXhXuN4AdZXO56t2toV6Y1t2BvYI53ITm4FaLm14ToGLs6CJnpxq-XGfuhOk0nZ8yd89qaaGBNOJzxqxgM4X3riKWpU/s640/blogger-image-1749881029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPM9j8i8i8KYX7waanthYEgJ-vjuhgjGw4-_Rg2hOuuM15uApVEXhXuN4AdZXO56t2toV6Y1t2BvYI53ITm4FaLm14ToGLs6CJnpxq-XGfuhOk0nZ8yd89qaaGBNOJzxqxgM4X3riKWpU/s320/blogger-image-1749881029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I stuck them in the fridge to cool quickly, then moved onto the icing, beginning with butter, cocoa, and espresso powder, then getting ready to add icing sugar and milk until the final product was ready.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmwLXDHnGOL06NP-jrGj3XrM_QxjV_XaXiMiG8952LZgc_jk06c06r1msWVCWdz6g7CVvfUO5-OI6qbYAbzugFx3FckfQ14ftn-i4mSRr9Q6Rm_eKJEK0dz1JPTlFHKnD99sBKD3yFx8/s640/blogger-image-1197339139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmwLXDHnGOL06NP-jrGj3XrM_QxjV_XaXiMiG8952LZgc_jk06c06r1msWVCWdz6g7CVvfUO5-OI6qbYAbzugFx3FckfQ14ftn-i4mSRr9Q6Rm_eKJEK0dz1JPTlFHKnD99sBKD3yFx8/s200/blogger-image-1197339139.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTFMmxfgwEpikr4N5T1_nqGgAcXPc-JbobnenvWGfklRVuF01CEgNpeogdn6jovw-TAgFR-cy4dSOFw1Eg1Nac6BwP0If6PjjtfW44MDnZ8qyJHdOXy2ouj-f9qnyS3IJnRkYgHqXWRQ/s640/blogger-image-557873482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTFMmxfgwEpikr4N5T1_nqGgAcXPc-JbobnenvWGfklRVuF01CEgNpeogdn6jovw-TAgFR-cy4dSOFw1Eg1Nac6BwP0If6PjjtfW44MDnZ8qyJHdOXy2ouj-f9qnyS3IJnRkYgHqXWRQ/s200/blogger-image-557873482.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6EZarBRNPhPDl5y-zvonK6hbJ-xWTyAPPI4hIWBwcvv-4qk3Kpt33u53gzjfVwhLVV16mR0LF2QZGFYPpIYdfbYNKRPj0klGy3m628QGy0v-dSFKAyGWtYRSVV7oeqR7CLC9aTCNOkNU/s640/blogger-image--1873305556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6EZarBRNPhPDl5y-zvonK6hbJ-xWTyAPPI4hIWBwcvv-4qk3Kpt33u53gzjfVwhLVV16mR0LF2QZGFYPpIYdfbYNKRPj0klGy3m628QGy0v-dSFKAyGWtYRSVV7oeqR7CLC9aTCNOkNU/s200/blogger-image--1873305556.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1OLwt2jO4ZSPVarYkrmqkk4hjRqHZRjdsInt9GJ7K_DqaDt228fVYsgkYP-MK7taz_aqtMUSiXOpaXzYvynNEhpGkc8omTvl147ujh2L0buaMZLjCL1umepyEJqKaryNjf4FS-CIZiE/s640/blogger-image--731543529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1OLwt2jO4ZSPVarYkrmqkk4hjRqHZRjdsInt9GJ7K_DqaDt228fVYsgkYP-MK7taz_aqtMUSiXOpaXzYvynNEhpGkc8omTvl147ujh2L0buaMZLjCL1umepyEJqKaryNjf4FS-CIZiE/s200/blogger-image--731543529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Then I had one of my special moments. You know, one of those special times when you have three people in the kitchen talking to you at once, and you just mean to bend down to dive under the mixer's wire extended across the not-so-greatly designed kitchen to get to the fridge for the milk, only you misjudge the distance and bash your head so hard on a corner that blood starts pouring down your face? And your husband asks you what's wrong with you as you sit crying on the floor with your three year old handing you tissues "for your drips"?<br />
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Does that happen to you, too?<br />
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Looks like I'll be Harry Potter for Hallowe'en. This is the cut cleaned up and swelling subsided:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DqMNDpwBDnaIcibiDXkHdLQW6uF2qa9or9hyCt5eX_XCfAyuS6m4yqKInVY0UwP0cfahzXgjaq1Hmh7HunNPHW1jTP6ViS8i56obg7mnRSuZ3_2pxvgr6fa27mtU0wW9QKYvnA6WoSI/s1600/blogger-image-432807867.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DqMNDpwBDnaIcibiDXkHdLQW6uF2qa9or9hyCt5eX_XCfAyuS6m4yqKInVY0UwP0cfahzXgjaq1Hmh7HunNPHW1jTP6ViS8i56obg7mnRSuZ3_2pxvgr6fa27mtU0wW9QKYvnA6WoSI/s320/blogger-image-432807867.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Not to be deterred, I had my assistant hold the bowl while I applied pressure (and an ice pack) to the wound so I could keep mixing. What else was I to do? Give up on a cake? Pfft, I DON'T THINK SO!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7VbVJYuAGplSuGndlr8u0_edGktf9__-XDm4tBCk-SY5AItR2sPqAIYNfZa3T4BdtTccKQmW_W3ZF_O7tR7yxOIS3T__BQ0t3wI8sDmALNzR8nPJ19eXbbkUiiE5uFmujTYg9g0z8Osw/s640/blogger-image-2015746285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7VbVJYuAGplSuGndlr8u0_edGktf9__-XDm4tBCk-SY5AItR2sPqAIYNfZa3T4BdtTccKQmW_W3ZF_O7tR7yxOIS3T__BQ0t3wI8sDmALNzR8nPJ19eXbbkUiiE5uFmujTYg9g0z8Osw/s640/blogger-image-2015746285.jpg" /></a></div>
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If there was any time chocolate cake was needed, now was the moment.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUHQme-sp9RlhUezXCX6gGYLBE7V1qHYY18ytlIhz2JjGnxrb33GHnGmy4QX-kriga5d5FisuKG1quvJXVuB9Tym3N5o7VsWA_ejgCwm_oWyVSeDPCMJldCY_cpkiNcugTSswG06I20E/s640/blogger-image--1624474017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUHQme-sp9RlhUezXCX6gGYLBE7V1qHYY18ytlIhz2JjGnxrb33GHnGmy4QX-kriga5d5FisuKG1quvJXVuB9Tym3N5o7VsWA_ejgCwm_oWyVSeDPCMJldCY_cpkiNcugTSswG06I20E/s200/blogger-image--1624474017.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpAHYY46rGfBZFm-VN5jkvGetIaE22cvxZKsZPRZuLCjltjQShe2GO3bkwMu2YONXq5sMEhqleNJibot4l6A6iSjSyUAuOmk4UbN3K7N5KRJVU9xRFDKPA7TDsYqUD5RHu5_HDeEU8dw/s640/blogger-image-1677675893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpAHYY46rGfBZFm-VN5jkvGetIaE22cvxZKsZPRZuLCjltjQShe2GO3bkwMu2YONXq5sMEhqleNJibot4l6A6iSjSyUAuOmk4UbN3K7N5KRJVU9xRFDKPA7TDsYqUD5RHu5_HDeEU8dw/s200/blogger-image-1677675893.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJeEW_kbI5Dhic9q4L9kflkjLgsbrM98_S6mm3Dnt4DNiIlM6vyKKzNGoLhwKhtP-DnJMR9zlxl6lKKgydjKBvoi-axV2gadCpTqDgCNxCVY7brrvlgQB7xX3Pi2CZ7SPnXZg55fmldk/s640/blogger-image-228419626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJeEW_kbI5Dhic9q4L9kflkjLgsbrM98_S6mm3Dnt4DNiIlM6vyKKzNGoLhwKhtP-DnJMR9zlxl6lKKgydjKBvoi-axV2gadCpTqDgCNxCVY7brrvlgQB7xX3Pi2CZ7SPnXZg55fmldk/s640/blogger-image-228419626.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My precious...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9IzZLkON3RIV9hwZTPWRXuHSm5n1_tOjY10rE2ltTU9LRgmvbtLdyUcoCzgrN86i6B-ZT9iCjPHhPb_9qIqLGg9z3CFEIA1UtTjfj4-iIfsvguuZVPu7hYjcqOfVT06_wdy1l2uGhb6Y/s640/blogger-image-1485489761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9IzZLkON3RIV9hwZTPWRXuHSm5n1_tOjY10rE2ltTU9LRgmvbtLdyUcoCzgrN86i6B-ZT9iCjPHhPb_9qIqLGg9z3CFEIA1UtTjfj4-iIfsvguuZVPu7hYjcqOfVT06_wdy1l2uGhb6Y/s640/blogger-image-1485489761.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After my family had sampled it</td></tr>
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The rest was sent along to the lovely folk at work who are keeping folk entertained this weekend as part of Hallowe'en celebrations. The cake was not given out of any real generosity on my part, you understand, but instead to prevent me from sobbing and eating all of it in one sitting.</div>
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If you find you are having the sort of day requiring this cake you can get a pretty and printable version of the recipe <a href="http://addapinch.com/the-best-chocolate-cake-recipe-ever/" target="_blank">here</a>, or you can settle for the usual copy & paste below.</div>
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<div class="ERSIngredients" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="ERSIngredientsHeader ERSHeading" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: none; font-size: 1.4em; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px;">
Ingredients</div>
<ul style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">2 cups all-purpose flour</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">2 cups sugar</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">2 teaspoons baking powder</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">1½ teaspoons baking soda</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">1 teaspoon salt</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">1 teaspoon <a href="http://amzn.to/1SqTtu7" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">espresso powder</a></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">1 cup milk</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">½ cup vegetable or canola oil</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">2 eggs</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">2 teaspoons <a href="http://addapinch.com/cooking/homemade-vanilla-extract-recipe/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">vanilla extract</a></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">1 cup boiling water</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;"><a href="http://addapinch.com/cooking/2014/02/27/perfect-chocolate-buttercream-frosting-recipe/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe">Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe</a></li>
</ul>
<div class="ERSClear" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; height: 0px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="ERSInstructions" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="ERSInstructionsHeader ERSHeading" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-size: 1.4em; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px;">
Instructions</div>
<ol style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring.</li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">For the cake:</span></li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk through to combine or, using your paddle attachment, stir through flour mixture until combined well.</li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to add air to the batter.</li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.</li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely.</li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">Frost cake with <a href="http://addapinch.com/cooking/2014/02/27/perfect-chocolate-buttercream-frosting-recipe/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe">Chocolate Buttercream Frosting</a>.</li>
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Frosting:</div>
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Ingredients</div>
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<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">1½ cups butter (3 sticks), softened</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">1 cup unsweetened cocoa</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">5 cups confectioner’s sugar</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">½ cup milk</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">2 teaspoons vanilla extract</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">½ teaspoon espresso powder</li>
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<div class="ERSInstructions" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="ERSInstructionsHeader ERSHeading" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-size: 1.4em; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px;">
Instructions</div>
<ol style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">Add cocoa to a large bowl or bowl of stand mixer. Whisk through to remove any lumps.</li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">Cream together butter and cocoa powder until well-combined.</li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">Add sugar and milk to cocoa mixture by adding 1 cup of sugar followed by about a tablespoon of milk. After each addition has been combined, turn mixer onto a high speed for about a minute. Repeat until all sugar and milk have been added.</li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">Add vanilla extract and espresso powder and combine well.</li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; list-style: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding-bottom: 4px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 4px !important;">If frosting appears too dry, add more milk, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency. If it appears to wet and does not hold its form, add more confectioner’s sugar, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.</li>
</ol>
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Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-89617905887234119052016-10-16T20:09:00.000+01:002016-10-16T20:14:16.219+01:00Apple Coffee Cake<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibNs4fOF0xl19DFqcF5djwN2A0ydEAAEaRlRfk9wLZJzNE36mwKAkZQlhLOoN7HFMMh0j6W90GEi80uTj_9dl-FrmZXQPb-xLtMLJcvOr92KOIbcpfnwYDwJQADMe_kYhrLiyOZ-82jIg/s1600/blogger-image--593523550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibNs4fOF0xl19DFqcF5djwN2A0ydEAAEaRlRfk9wLZJzNE36mwKAkZQlhLOoN7HFMMh0j6W90GEi80uTj_9dl-FrmZXQPb-xLtMLJcvOr92KOIbcpfnwYDwJQADMe_kYhrLiyOZ-82jIg/s400/blogger-image--593523550.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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October break is here, and with it, a blog post for the first time in a while cause, you know, life.<br />
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In the USA, October break means nothing. There, children are pushed out of public schools for three months of summer to wreak havoc, then once they have finally forgotten everything their teachers laboured to insert into their resistant craniums, they are locked back inside the institution's doors for the remainder of the year (apart from two weeks at Christmas and a week in spring). Meanwhile, here in Britain one must always check one's calendar to see if school is on that day, for the schools don't open their doors for such significant cultural events as the following:<br />
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Christmas<br />
Easter<br />
Autumn*<br />
February*<br />
and...the ever significant, can't ever miss it:<br />
Bank holiday<br />
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I say bank holiday, singular, but it feels like there are dozens of the bastards, usually falling on Mondays, which usually have no great significance other than to say "feck it, let's have a day off, just to mess with the parents looking forward to Monday, shall we?"<br />
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The consequence of this schedule is that you'll be rolling along, enjoying your little school routine of drop-offs, pick-ups, working when they are at school, when all of a sudden the school refuses to take them for a day, a week, or, if you're really lucky, the school announces that technically the inner walls aren't attached to the outer walls and the roof isn't technically attached to the walls either so they have to close indefinitely.<br />
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I really, <i>really</i> hate it when they do that last one, by the way.<br />
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So here we are, celebrating autumn. And Autumn means apples, apples stolen in the black of night from the local angry farmer who came after us with his pitchfork.** They taste best poached, but a close second is to make apple coffee cake. At this point, Americans all say "oooh- coffee cake! and Brits all say "apple and coffee? In a cake? uh...<tentative bite> wow, I can't taste the coffee at all!" That's because it is a cake meant to be consumed <i>with</i> coffee, it doesn't actually contain any. I had been told it was a German thing to call it coffee cake, then I spoke to my German colleagues all chill about "coffee cake" and how it doesn't have any coffee in it and they stared in that special, direct, mean-what-they-say that their nation has perfected and said "no, we do not call that coffee cake in Germany" so I guess it's just another silly Americanism.<br />
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You know how a lot of the time I take photos of all the steps along the way? Screw that, here are some apples on some batter that I made. Incidentally, one of the great things about having kids is that first thing in the morning you can send them to the shops for ingredients.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFPr2ddJIDQ1Z1DUILWrRLPH4rPfCncfUOJSJfzRQU1IAi7sJk053RsQLELLaWbKOi_Z_XixEv_dUGFj8fsrek-cs3H8TuqvpUkQSUlc9yvCC_F21n4G7smdL8OShIuSDdOal8nwz1MgQ/s640/blogger-image--1785272191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFPr2ddJIDQ1Z1DUILWrRLPH4rPfCncfUOJSJfzRQU1IAi7sJk053RsQLELLaWbKOi_Z_XixEv_dUGFj8fsrek-cs3H8TuqvpUkQSUlc9yvCC_F21n4G7smdL8OShIuSDdOal8nwz1MgQ/s640/blogger-image--1785272191.jpg" /></a></div>
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Son, I couldn't have made this without you. </div>
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I sliced the apples instead of roughly chopping them cause I felt fancy, but I didn't make them uniform, because I lack both the precision and the will to do that. </div>
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This is the struesel topping I made in the food processor. I should have made more. Too much topping is always better than too little.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4PUERocwmWk4ZAUplDbmzvbPYjWvdej0JDns8pIgwvnonkNw17wDKgjDXDLydmsHo1Fv2amVkGC77fyBjGSfDV_NF-3hrGneL_YWjUoLshsyC6TC5EElH68RsjT6Ic3j30N6GykgTzW4/s640/blogger-image-274647537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4PUERocwmWk4ZAUplDbmzvbPYjWvdej0JDns8pIgwvnonkNw17wDKgjDXDLydmsHo1Fv2amVkGC77fyBjGSfDV_NF-3hrGneL_YWjUoLshsyC6TC5EElH68RsjT6Ic3j30N6GykgTzW4/s640/blogger-image-274647537.jpg" /></a></div>
Here is the evidence that I should have made more - you can never have too much struesel on coffee cake.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ZrG9OWW9Y8FZCvbMvwARSxFSBsZNea_W1xOiq8olTTytc5jnHs5aj6VqwaAN-BODrvEBUDb4aFV59SWSTdNW3C9hSw7BnTtLY7vKLp9puRldo6KnBPMoU0DEQytQp04wCqzwfvyH67k/s640/blogger-image-1244720272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ZrG9OWW9Y8FZCvbMvwARSxFSBsZNea_W1xOiq8olTTytc5jnHs5aj6VqwaAN-BODrvEBUDb4aFV59SWSTdNW3C9hSw7BnTtLY7vKLp9puRldo6KnBPMoU0DEQytQp04wCqzwfvyH67k/s640/blogger-image-1244720272.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">unbaked</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidn5uzZDNxGFp5jFw-IP8ZMl19Vpnp9Jcdqlpoe2HAnG_ChTUJwCtzcOsFFwg8MRuF9OyJuW8_IRSK0JQZRQwhNQ0ypaWxoqEap2nYPVxXE0Q9-CmIVZMQSkc_DgIkVKXWVoiWKL8Jx5U/s640/blogger-image--2015599208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidn5uzZDNxGFp5jFw-IP8ZMl19Vpnp9Jcdqlpoe2HAnG_ChTUJwCtzcOsFFwg8MRuF9OyJuW8_IRSK0JQZRQwhNQ0ypaWxoqEap2nYPVxXE0Q9-CmIVZMQSkc_DgIkVKXWVoiWKL8Jx5U/s640/blogger-image--2015599208.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Baked. Yes, I know I missed a spot.</span></td></tr>
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And here is the final, somewhat thin for coffee cake, product, right before I stuck it in the freezer with all of its attractive brothers and sisters (as well as the ugly brother who has the same mother and father but somehow lost out on the looks lottery) so that I can better transport the goods to a mystery location tomorrow. And so I didn't shove all the cake in my face immediately, because these guys are like Pringles. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibNs4fOF0xl19DFqcF5djwN2A0ydEAAEaRlRfk9wLZJzNE36mwKAkZQlhLOoN7HFMMh0j6W90GEi80uTj_9dl-FrmZXQPb-xLtMLJcvOr92KOIbcpfnwYDwJQADMe_kYhrLiyOZ-82jIg/s1600/blogger-image--593523550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibNs4fOF0xl19DFqcF5djwN2A0ydEAAEaRlRfk9wLZJzNE36mwKAkZQlhLOoN7HFMMh0j6W90GEi80uTj_9dl-FrmZXQPb-xLtMLJcvOr92KOIbcpfnwYDwJQADMe_kYhrLiyOZ-82jIg/s320/blogger-image--593523550.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Soft cake base, gooey, tart apple middle, and crunchy top</span></td></tr>
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So wish me luck over the next week as I try to master the fine details of financial reporting (INCLUDING the ever exciting group reports pro formas) while at the same time keeping three children fed, clothed, and entertained with all kinds of educational activities. </div>
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HA HA HA HA!!</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Please pass me the cake now.</span></div>
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I can't find a handy link for the recipe, so forgive me if I leave that typing for another day. Alternatively, open up a copy of Joy of Cooking and make their Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Apple topping, using yogurt instead of sour cream and Struesel I. </div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">*They don't shut for the entirety of Autumn of February, as that would be silly. Instead each time children are given a week off. Plus, usually, a random Monday added on just to mess with you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">**the apples weren't actually stolen - my colleague has an apple tree and gifted them to me. </span></div>
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Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-81497979917487555792016-05-30T17:56:00.000+01:002016-05-30T17:56:13.438+01:00Ginger and Date Scones<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARuTy4D4Z48h4kuZz_vevatZsstvvIg0CeSZoAxfOq1UKmHDx3sbZx3gXrH5iiur2CIgqNE3-y5Gi4ZwkGmJ6ICLc0Zb3cfmclzyZ6e3CikcyZ3tJozZopIZorKJCBKRpC0oGcogSTZ0/s640/blogger-image--1777602951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARuTy4D4Z48h4kuZz_vevatZsstvvIg0CeSZoAxfOq1UKmHDx3sbZx3gXrH5iiur2CIgqNE3-y5Gi4ZwkGmJ6ICLc0Zb3cfmclzyZ6e3CikcyZ3tJozZopIZorKJCBKRpC0oGcogSTZ0/s640/blogger-image--1777602951.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Scone. How do you pronounce that word? Here, it is generally said to be "skon", unless you are talking about the place itself, in which case it is "Skoon". If you are reading this in North America, you probably think it rhymes with stone. </div>
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No, it doesn't. Stop doing that. </div>
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Scones (especially their pronunciation) have been a bit of a thing for a long time in our family. My grandmother's consistently rose like clouds when she cooked them at home in Australia. Unfortunately, when she tried the exact same recipe in North America, the flour produced hot, buttery batches of rocks - fresh baked disappointment - due to the local flour's refusal to cooperate. But the British delicacy didn't have to be homemade; every time we went on a trip to the beach town of Lorne, we could count on visiting the same tea shop overlooking the ocean. There my grandmother would carefully scrutinise all the menu choices before choosing the same thing time and time again: a cream tea. I think she was of the jam then cream school, but I won't swear to it.</div>
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We made the odd batch of scones at home growing up using the ever reliable Bisquick, but it wasn't until I moved to Scotland that I made them from scratch. Here, so many claim to make the BEST scones that I was a bit wary of trying to make them myself. Eventually I conquered my fear, telling myself at the end of the day, anything straight out of the oven served smeared with melting butter and generous dollops of jam is going to be good, no matter how incompetent a cook you are.</div>
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A few years ago my mum went on a visit to Australia and raved about a particular variety of scone: ginger and date. She feasted on them several times during her stay, and being somewhat of a ginger fanatic, recommended I also try making them. She suggested this on a regular basis for quite some time...</div>
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"So, have you tried making ginger and date scones?"</div>
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"I miss those scones in Australia...you know, the ginger and date ones? Have you made them?"</div>
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"Did you find a good recipe for ginger and date scones yet??"</div>
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"Oh...you're baking? Are you making scones? With ginger? And dates?"</div>
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Still, I can't say I was ever really tempted to make them until this past week. I was at home, awaiting her and her companion's arrival while looking after a poorly 3-year-old, trying to think of something simple I could make with the ingredients I had on hand. Years ago, my mother and I had walked the West Highland Way together, and she had been particularly delighted by Rose Cottage, a B&B that had greeted us with fresh scones and a pot of tea. I looked to recreate that moment (scones after a trek across the ocean rather than following a 14 mile stroll) and then realised that I had both candied ginger and dates in my possession, so perhaps it was time to try the variety my mother had requested I try <i>so many times</i>. The one ingredient in the recipe I did not possess was buttermilk, but that was easily remedied by adding lemon juice to milk and waiting for the mixture to magically transform. </div>
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The rest was just as simple: dry ingredients and chopped butter into the food processor, blitz, dump into bowl & add buttermilk to bring together, mixing as little as possible, fold in dates and chopped ginger. Put mounds onto greaseproof paper, then sprinkle coarse, demerara sugar on top and bake until nicely browned. Brew tea and wait for mother, trying one for quality control while waiting. </div>
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So yes, mother, I have made them. And yes, they were nice. Thank you.</div>
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The link is <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/ginger-date-scones-396818" target="_blank">here</a>, but the recipe is also below:</div>
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<div class="section clrfix ingredients" style="background-color: #efece2; clear: left; color: #353a3b; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15.8888893127441px; margin: 0px 0px 0.538em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<h2 class="section=title" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased !important; color: #333333; float: none; font-family: TensoMedium, TensoLight, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.11764706em; margin: 0px 0px 0.235em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-transform: uppercase;">
INGREDIENTS</h2>
<ul style="clear: left; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0.308em 14px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><ul style="clear: left; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="background-position: 0px 7px; float: none; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.3; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 16px;"><span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -0.308em; outline: 0px;">2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour</span></li>
<li style="background-position: 0px 7px; float: none; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.3; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 16px;"><span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -0.308em; outline: 0px;">1/4 cup brown sugar, packed</span></li>
<li style="background-position: 0px 7px; float: none; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.3; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 16px;"><span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -0.308em; outline: 0px;">1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder</span></li>
<li style="background-position: 0px 7px; float: none; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.3; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 16px;"><span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -0.308em; outline: 0px;">1/2 teaspoon baking soda</span></li>
<li style="background-position: 0px 7px; float: none; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.3; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 16px;"><span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -0.308em; outline: 0px;">1/4 teaspoon salt</span></li>
<li style="background-position: 0px 7px; float: none; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.3; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 16px;"><span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -0.308em; outline: 0px;">1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into 8 chunks</span></li>
<li style="background-position: 0px 7px; float: none; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.3; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 16px;"><span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -0.308em; outline: 0px;">1 cup buttermilk (just under a cup of milk, add a Tbsp of lemon juice, stir, then let sit for 10 minutes)</span></li>
<li style="background-position: 0px 7px; float: none; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.3; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 16px;"><span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -0.308em; outline: 0px;">3/4 cup dates, chopped</span></li>
<li style="background-position: 0px 7px; float: none; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.3; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 16px;"><span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -0.308em; outline: 0px;">1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped</span></li>
<li style="background-position: 0px 7px; float: none; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.3; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 16px;"><span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -0.308em; outline: 0px;">1 tablespoon demerara sugar </span></li>
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<div class="section clrfix directions" style="background-color: #efece2; clear: left; color: #353a3b; float: none; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15.8888893127441px; margin: 0px 0px 1.231em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased !important; color: #333333; float: none; font-family: TensoMedium, TensoLight, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.11764706em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-transform: uppercase;">
DIRECTIONS</h2>
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<li style="float: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.31; list-style: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 0.571em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; width: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -0.308em; outline: 0px;">Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.</span></li>
<li style="float: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.31; list-style: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 0.571em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; width: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -0.308em; outline: 0px;">In medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda & salt.</span></li>
<li style="float: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.31; list-style: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 0.571em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; width: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -0.308em; outline: 0px;">With pastry blender cut in the cold butter until mixture looks like fine crumbs (or blitz in a food processor)</span></li>
<li style="float: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.31; list-style: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 0.571em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; width: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -0.308em; outline: 0px;">Stir in buttermilk until dough forms a ball, then stir in dates & ginger.</span></li>
<li style="float: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.31; list-style: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 0.571em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; width: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -0.308em; outline: 0px;">On an ungreased baking sheet & using a 1/3 cup measure, drop dough 1 inch apart, then sprinkle with sugar.</span></li>
<li style="float: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.31; list-style: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 0.571em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; width: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -0.308em; outline: 0px;">Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown</span></li>
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Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-6141654670487395722016-05-28T22:37:00.001+01:002016-05-28T22:37:58.157+01:00Bakewell TartThe panic continues, folks.<br />
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BBC Food will be coming to an end, and with it, its searchable index of 11000 recipes, a resource that has been invaluable to me and countless others. Whenever trying something new, it is the first site I tend to go to, as its recipes are reliable, its comments useful.<br />
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But it don't make no money, so it gots to go. Before it does, I shall be building up an arsenal of recipes such as the one for this.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrL81i7zBk0flSNQtbiwWaaSJWYX0nImkBaZPl6DvHIBE5vWaiCJWB74PFs6FEIvVLQirfNTdfWhP7vdKMh8MYHDdPYo_bvFoYrjCaJYc7fzolajPL7nqZhoovdO5MDPQPjD4ESNqI4NM/s640/blogger-image--319021557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrL81i7zBk0flSNQtbiwWaaSJWYX0nImkBaZPl6DvHIBE5vWaiCJWB74PFs6FEIvVLQirfNTdfWhP7vdKMh8MYHDdPYo_bvFoYrjCaJYc7fzolajPL7nqZhoovdO5MDPQPjD4ESNqI4NM/s640/blogger-image--319021557.jpg" /></a><br />
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Don't be distracted by the stars, it is the tart we made here. This was it competing with another mum's cupcakes for the attention of 8 year old boys. The cupcakes won, dammit. Had it been the Sunday church crowd, it would have been a different story, but this time, I failed miserably in providing the most tempting cake on offer.<br />
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As far as tarts go, this one is a pretty simple one. The base pastry is just butter whizzed up in a food processor with flour, plus enough water to bind it together, then rolled out for my removeable base tart tin. Naturally, I made sure it was flawless.<br />
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It chilled in the fridge for a while (to prevent too much shrinkage when baking) then on went some scrunched up baking parchment followed by my baking beans.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioja0yBaHbNrA5EqY57SXwMKIE-tnlJbr1nuphJVniUCj-rWtUf7kqAOPzE09482ViikbbJBPXs68UAqG4WZIQNJzKDwdlFUjhU28PZMTsvdWWCM3LqJdE5Kz7FZd1Vl9f48NlY2UpM1c/s640/blogger-image-639473846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioja0yBaHbNrA5EqY57SXwMKIE-tnlJbr1nuphJVniUCj-rWtUf7kqAOPzE09482ViikbbJBPXs68UAqG4WZIQNJzKDwdlFUjhU28PZMTsvdWWCM3LqJdE5Kz7FZd1Vl9f48NlY2UpM1c/s640/blogger-image-639473846.jpg" /></a></div>
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Baking parchment always feels to me like the budget cousin of waxed paper. Can you still get that anywhere? I'd like some just for wrapping sandwiches to bring to work, to make it look like I've been to some fancy artesan deli instead of using Lidl's finest pb&j.<br />
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Anywhoo, while blind baking the pastry, I put together a mixture that this photo makes look pretty revolting.<br />
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It was ground almonds, melted butter, sugar, almond extract and eggs.<br />
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The pastry came out, and you can see a wee patch at the lower edge where a hole had appeared.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw970EqNDBZyKcuMOM7spDpEZE4BqnF4Sf2inJuRhwQAmZcPndw1KQ6JHZaEVhvDnS7v-inotDwU7PwlFMq3uXIolMnpQbL8Cfm7NuK6XLqc6vtHpQO0WmjaJzJbDIIjTyqH3iYbubWec/s640/blogger-image-6394305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw970EqNDBZyKcuMOM7spDpEZE4BqnF4Sf2inJuRhwQAmZcPndw1KQ6JHZaEVhvDnS7v-inotDwU7PwlFMq3uXIolMnpQbL8Cfm7NuK6XLqc6vtHpQO0WmjaJzJbDIIjTyqH3iYbubWec/s640/blogger-image-6394305.jpg" /></a></div>
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In went a whole bunch of raspberry jam<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimist2miHMM-FKNzTkFGaCINRAkIqqXAZP8grCgZ4InNW0mPpRolE-6VtKFaJ3esl5MhdHOV4PUS4qvrXbWaot4AN-e_pdJHmKfkCH8HRTNn8HIEErzsc86tCsRdNxE8ULHBMHAqYL0RA/s640/blogger-image-1769023743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimist2miHMM-FKNzTkFGaCINRAkIqqXAZP8grCgZ4InNW0mPpRolE-6VtKFaJ3esl5MhdHOV4PUS4qvrXbWaot4AN-e_pdJHmKfkCH8HRTNn8HIEErzsc86tCsRdNxE8ULHBMHAqYL0RA/s640/blogger-image-1769023743.jpg" /></a></div>
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Then my youngest son was kind enough to take this "action shot" while I explained that no, we weren't making chocolate chip cookies.<br />
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Oh, and this is me. Backlighting is awesome. My hat is so I don't get hair in your cake. You're welcome.<br />
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Then on went the almond mixture.<br />
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And then sliced almonds were scattered on top.<br />
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Back in the oven it went. I have to put it on a tray for 2 reasons:<br />
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1) It's a lot easier to put in and out of the oven<br />
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2) I always forget it's a removeable base, so inevitably if I DON'T use a tray, I grab the edges, then manage to shove the bottom part of the pan up on one side and not the other, smashing the tart into irrecoverable ugliness. So yeah, use a tray.<br />
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You may have noticed I didn't trim the edges earlier. The British Bake off hosts seem to think you should trim the edges after it's cooked, while it's still warm, to prevent the sides sliding into the bottom of the dish. You also can trim it more neatly. I do everything the judges say, so I waited until now to cut off the overhanging pastry.</div>
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Ok, so I didn't add a glazed icing to this tart like Mary Berry says you should. I don't think it needs it. It looks pretty enough as it is, here seen in its vintage yellow tupperware to be safe on its mile long journey.<br />
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And here, sliced on site next to WAY popular star buns. Oh well, at least I brought it on the right day this time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrL81i7zBk0flSNQtbiwWaaSJWYX0nImkBaZPl6DvHIBE5vWaiCJWB74PFs6FEIvVLQirfNTdfWhP7vdKMh8MYHDdPYo_bvFoYrjCaJYc7fzolajPL7nqZhoovdO5MDPQPjD4ESNqI4NM/s640/blogger-image--319021557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrL81i7zBk0flSNQtbiwWaaSJWYX0nImkBaZPl6DvHIBE5vWaiCJWB74PFs6FEIvVLQirfNTdfWhP7vdKMh8MYHDdPYo_bvFoYrjCaJYc7fzolajPL7nqZhoovdO5MDPQPjD4ESNqI4NM/s640/blogger-image--319021557.jpg" /></a>The link to the recipe (while it still exists) is <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/bakewell_tart_90600" target="_blank">here</a>, otherwise you'll find my usual styling genius of copy and paste with the original recipe below:<br />
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<br />
<div class="recipe-ingredients" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #3a3a3a; display: inline-block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 32px; margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 16px; text-rendering: auto; vertical-align: top; width: 661.328125px;">
<div class="recipe-ingredients-wrapper" style="border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; box-sizing: inherit;">
<h2 class="recipe-ingredients__heading" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1.5rem; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5rem; margin: 0px; padding: 64px 0px 24px;">
Ingredients</h2>
<h3 class="recipe-ingredients__sub-heading" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1.25rem; letter-spacing: -0.0625rem; line-height: 1.25rem; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
For the shortcrust pastry</h3>
<ul class="recipe-ingredients__list" style="box-sizing: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 16px 0px;">
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;">175g/6oz <a class="recipe-ingredients__link" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/plain_flour" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #017d18; text-decoration: none;">plain flour</a></li>
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;">75g/2½oz chilled <a class="recipe-ingredients__link" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/butter" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #017d18; text-decoration: none;">butter</a></li>
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;">2-3 tbsp cold water</li>
</ul>
<h3 class="recipe-ingredients__sub-heading" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1.25rem; letter-spacing: -0.0625rem; line-height: 1.25rem; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
For the filling</h3>
<ul class="recipe-ingredients__list" style="box-sizing: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 16px 0px;">
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;">1 tbsp <a class="recipe-ingredients__link" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/raspberry_jam" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #017d18; text-decoration: none;">raspberry jam</a></li>
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;">125g/4½oz <a class="recipe-ingredients__link" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/butter" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #017d18; text-decoration: none;">butter</a></li>
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;">125g/4½oz <a class="recipe-ingredients__link" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/caster_sugar" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #017d18; text-decoration: none;">caster sugar</a></li>
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;">125g/4½oz <a class="recipe-ingredients__link" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/ground_almonds" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #017d18; text-decoration: none;">ground almonds</a></li>
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;">1 free-range <a class="recipe-ingredients__link" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/egg" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #017d18; text-decoration: none;">egg</a>, beaten</li>
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;">½ tsp <a class="recipe-ingredients__link" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/almond_extract" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #017d18; text-decoration: none;">almond extract</a></li>
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;">50g/1¾oz <a class="recipe-ingredients__link" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/flaked_almonds" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #017d18; text-decoration: none;">flaked almonds</a></li>
</ul>
<h3 class="recipe-ingredients__sub-heading" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1.25rem; letter-spacing: -0.0625rem; line-height: 1.25rem; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
For the optional icing</h3>
<ul class="recipe-ingredients__list" style="box-sizing: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 16px 0px;">
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;">80g/2¾oz <a class="recipe-ingredients__link" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/icing_sugar" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #017d18; text-decoration: none;">icing sugar</a></li>
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;">2½ tsp cold water</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div class="recipe-quick-links" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #3a3a3a; display: inline-block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 56px; margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 16px; text-rendering: auto; vertical-align: top; width: 661.328125px;">
<div class="recipe-quick-links-wrapper" style="border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; box-sizing: inherit; padding-top: 64px;">
<a class="recipe-quick-link recipe-quick-link--how-to-videos" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/bakewell_tart_90600#recipe-how-to-videos" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #3a3a3a; display: inline-block; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; padding: 0px 28px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"><span class="recipe-quick-link__icon" style="background: url(http://food.files.bbci.co.uk/kandl-food/1137/images/svg/icons-9faec89a.svg) 86.0465087890625% 54.7169799804688% no-repeat; box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; height: 16px; margin-bottom: -2px; margin-right: 4px; width: 16px;"></span> <span class="recipe-quick-link__text" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block;">How-to-videos</span></a></div>
</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -4.96000003814697px; line-height: 22px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -4.96000003814697px; line-height: 22px;"></span><br />
<div class="recipe-method " style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #3a3a3a; display: inline-block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 32px; margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 16px; text-rendering: auto; vertical-align: top; width: 661.328125px;">
<div class="recipe-method-wrapper" style="box-sizing: inherit;">
<h2 class="recipe-method__heading" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1.5rem; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5rem; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px;">
Method</h2>
<ol class="recipe-method__list" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 16px 0px 0px 32px;">
<li class="recipe-method__list-item" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 0px 24px 8px;"><div class="recipe-method__list-item-text" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: normal; padding: 0px;">
To make the pastry, measure the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the water, mixing to form a soft dough. Or just throw the butter and flour into a food processor, blitz it, and add water until you get a soft dough. Whichever.</div>
</li>
<li class="recipe-method__list-item" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 0px 24px 8px;"><div class="recipe-method__list-item-text" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: normal; padding: 0px;">
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface and use to line a 20cm/8in flan tin. Leave in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.</div>
</li>
<li class="recipe-method__list-item" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 0px 24px 8px;"><div class="recipe-method__list-item-text" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: normal; padding: 0px;">
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 (180C fan).</div>
</li>
<li class="recipe-method__list-item" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 0px 24px 8px;"><div class="recipe-method__list-item-text" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: normal; padding: 0px;">
Line the pastry case with foil and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for about 15 minutes, then remove the beans and foil and cook for a further five minutes to dry out the base.</div>
</li>
<li class="recipe-method__list-item" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 0px 24px 8px;"><div class="recipe-method__list-item-text" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: normal; padding: 0px;">
For the filing, spread the base of the pastry generously with raspberry jam.</div>
</li>
<li class="recipe-method__list-item" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 0px 24px 8px;"><div class="recipe-method__list-item-text" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: normal; padding: 0px;">
Melt the butter in a pan (or in a chipped stoneware teacup in the microwave), take off the heat and then stir into the sugar. Add ground almonds, egg and almond extract. Pour onto the pastry and sprinkle over the flaked almonds.</div>
</li>
<li class="recipe-method__list-item" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 0px 24px 8px;"><div class="recipe-method__list-item-text" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: normal; padding: 0px;">
Bake for about 35 minutes. If the almonds seem to be browning too quickly, cover the tart loosely with foil to prevent them burning.</div>
</li>
<li class="recipe-method__list-item" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 0px 24px 8px;"><div class="recipe-method__list-item-text" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: normal; padding: 0px;">
Optional : Meanwhile, sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Stir in cold water and transfer to a piping bag.</div>
</li>
<li class="recipe-method__list-item" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 0px 24px 8px;"><div class="recipe-method__list-item-text" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: normal; padding: 0px;">
Once you have removed the tart from the oven, pipe the icing over the top, giving an informal zig zag effect.</div>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
<br />Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-45000961956755838132016-05-17T21:12:00.001+01:002016-05-17T21:12:29.935+01:00Lime Bars<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLRXaBxHbgTEf6rHkOSfxI7uJO7IxOuIr-0UwRo9tjsjgB15IIsMJnVXOSg4cZiCpNr1VnBeFo0bRtyWUPGGmFgVRVCSeczSZTeEN4VcL_YS6vc8zKYTs-BBPYTqg5cZ-rt3vlEw8uU8/s640/blogger-image-1097434122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLRXaBxHbgTEf6rHkOSfxI7uJO7IxOuIr-0UwRo9tjsjgB15IIsMJnVXOSg4cZiCpNr1VnBeFo0bRtyWUPGGmFgVRVCSeczSZTeEN4VcL_YS6vc8zKYTs-BBPYTqg5cZ-rt3vlEw8uU8/s640/blogger-image-1097434122.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
So yeah...lime bars...Fairly simple, which is just as well, because I made them on the wrong day.<br />
<br />
Here I was, trying to be the smug mother again baking for the cricket crew. I made the mistake of listening to my husband when he told me that cricket was on Monday again, so I went ahead and made a batch of these. As they were cycling over, I even found a sturdy container, packed them well, and made him get some bungees to strap it to the panier rack. Cricket was to begin at 5:45, so I sent them on their bikes at half past, texting a friend to watch out for Michael if she wanted any of tonight's treat.<br />
<br />
At quarter to six I got a call. "So...cricket isn't on...but these bars will keep, right? You can just put them in the fridge and give them out on Wednesday?"<br />
<br />
I thought for a moment, and said "Err, I can just make something different then. In the meantime, go to X's house and drop some off there, and then go to Y's house and give some to her, cause I was talking about this recipe with her today as well."<br />
<br />
So they set off on their deliveries, and we got a bit more peace and quiet at home.<br />
<br />
In the U.S., lemon bars are fairly standard bake sale and coffee shop fayre, but you don't see them here much. This is just a slightly sexed up version of them, using lime instead of lemon, and adding a glaze layer on the top.<br />
<br />
A food processor in your life will make the first step VERY easy: just stick some flour, icing/powdered sugar, salt, and butter into a food processor until it resembles breadcrumbs and dump it into your lined 9X13 pan. If you don't have one this size, think about getting one if you want to master a lot of American recipes. Or half the recipe and do it in a square 8 inch pan.<br />
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<br />
I used a small nutella jar that I now use as a drinking glass to stamp it down a bit.<br />
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<br />
Then baked it for 10 minutes.<br />
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I then poured a simple mixture of limes (zest and juice), eggs, sugar, flour, and baking powder on top, which I had managed to put together during the 10 minutes the base was in the oven, even while managing a 3 year old who wanted a chocolate donut, a request he kept repeating over and over and over and over...<br />
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I didn't have any, and told him I didn't intend to get any, so he took my ipad and took a photo of what my kitchen really looks like when I don't zoom in to edit out all the crap everywhere.<br />
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The pan went back in the oven for another 25 minutes or so, at which point it came out looking like this.<br />
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Once it had cooled a bit I put a mixture of limes (juice and zest) and icing/powdered sugar on as a glaze and let it set while I read about Berenstein Bears on Vacation, at the Doctor, on their Moving Day, with Trucks, Going to School...and then about Fancy Nancy and her Butterfly Birthday.<br />
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The bars were now ready for slicing, so the books were abondoned. One day, I might actually learn to make even squares when slicing. Not today.<br />
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Then into the box they went on their city adventure. Here they are being lovingly packed in some vintage tupperware which doesn't crack or break when you drop it. This is important for me, as I am <i>really</i> good at breaking stuff. I made the mistake of splurging around Christmas-time on a modern 2 tiered cupcake carrier and broke it the second time I used it. Vintage tupperware, on the other hand was made to last, so we are good pals and shall remain so for a while I suspect.<br />
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I'll post the recipe below but here is the <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/223532/lime-bars/" target="_blank">link</a>. Soon it looks as if I shall have to focus my efforts on copying and pasting a lot from the BBC recipe site as it is being shut down!!! Scary biscuits!</div>
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"A different take on the lemon bars we all love. I actually prefer them to lemon. This is my favorite bar cookie and I'm asked to bring it when going to a potluck or picnic. The recipe says it serves 36, but you can't eat just one of these delicious, tangy lime bars. You can omit the glaze and sprinkle with powdered sugar if that's your preference."</div>
<h2 class="recipe-print__h2" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Arial; font-size: 1.125rem; font-weight: normal; margin: 0.5rem 0px; outline: none !important;">
Ingredients</h2>
<ul style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2d2d2d; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Arial; font-size: 16px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 284.984375px;">
<li style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none !important;">2 cups all-purpose flour</li>
<li style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none !important;">1/2 cup confectioners' sugar</li>
<li style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none !important;">1/2 teaspoon salt</li>
<li style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none !important;">1 cup butter</li>
<li style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none !important;">4 eggs</li>
<li style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none !important;">1/3 cup lime juice</li>
<li style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none !important;">1/4 cup all-purpose flour</li>
</ul>
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<ul style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2d2d2d; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Arial; font-size: 16px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 284.984375px;">
<li style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none !important;">2 cups white sugar</li>
<li style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none !important;">2 teaspoons grated lime peel, or more to taste</li>
<li style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none !important;">1/2 teaspoon baking powder</li>
<li style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none !important;">1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar</li>
<li style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none !important;">2 tablespoons lime juice</li>
<li style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none !important;">1 teaspoon grated lime peel (optional)</li>
</ul>
<h2 class="recipe-print__h2" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Arial; font-size: 1.125rem; font-weight: normal; margin: 0.5rem 0px; outline: none !important;">
Directions</h2>
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<ol class="recipe-print__directions" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2d2d2d; counter-reset: item 0; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Arial; font-size: 16px; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 1.5rem; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;">
<li class="item" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none !important;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease a 9X13-inch baking dish.</li>
<li class="item" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none !important;">Mix 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, and salt in a bowl; cut in butter with a pastry cutter until crust mixture resembles crumbs. Pat crust evenly into bottom of the prepared baking dish.</li>
<li class="item" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none !important;">Bake crust in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.</li>
<li class="item" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none !important;">Whisk eggs, 1/3 cup lime juice, 1/4 cup flour, white sugar, 2 teaspoons lime peel, baking powder; pour over the crust.</li>
<li class="item" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none !important;">Return baking dish to oven; bake until filling is set, about 25 minutes. Cool thoroughly.</li>
<li class="item" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none !important;">Whisk 1 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 1 teaspoon grated lime peel to make a smooth glaze; spread evenly over cooled lime bars. Let glaze set before cutting</li>
</ol>
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Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-84410634737427636582016-05-14T21:38:00.001+01:002016-05-14T21:38:43.545+01:00Rhubarb and Custard Tart with Butter Crumble<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEr0F5MyxL0EmDPlEmQNrjA9FNR1b5lP7Ae1vs2UjN3X6ZgxnODl0cpbkRzuymRYLW0rjaBfGKkpuFD31tbdLJ0XAadoIiS1sVKqRzsBpvm8fxYm2d9DFKHt3z7M6wjaD8-hvhtyS40A/s1600/IMG_3825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEr0F5MyxL0EmDPlEmQNrjA9FNR1b5lP7Ae1vs2UjN3X6ZgxnODl0cpbkRzuymRYLW0rjaBfGKkpuFD31tbdLJ0XAadoIiS1sVKqRzsBpvm8fxYm2d9DFKHt3z7M6wjaD8-hvhtyS40A/s640/IMG_3825.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
The closest I ever came to running an allotment plot was directly after I read Barbara Kingsolver's <i><b>Animal, Vegetable, Miracle</b></i>, in which she and her family attempted to eat only locally grown food for a year. I signed our family up for a local plot...and was told the waiting list was taking on average 7-8 years. Recently (about 7 years after signing up) we were sent a letter asking us to contact them if we were still interested...I didn't respond.<br />
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I mean, I like the <i>idea</i> of gardening and growing my own food. I just don't actually like spending my time doing it. Good weather is so rare here, it seems such a <i>waste</i> to spend it on an allotment when I could spend that time in a park instead and amble down to buy locally grown produce at the farmers' market.<br />
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...Or simply cozy up to friends who sweat over their own plots. And friends like these always gift you some of this stuff:<br />
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Rhubarb. Glorious, wonderful, heavenly rhubarb. Barbara Kingsolver has a chapter in her book when her family set off on their first week of local eating at the very beginning of spring. Her daughter has one request from the market: fresh fruit. So early in the season, they went with little confidence to their small gathering of farmers' stalls. They had given up hope until they found our cold weather friend: RHUBARB! Admittedly, much like tomatoes are fruit, rhubarb <i>is</i> a vegetable and needs a fair amount of sugar and stewing to make it palatable, but what a flavour it is. And once you have a plant which has established itself, you need do little to maintain it apart from cut it regularly, so it is a lazy gardener's dream, constantly producing a steady stream of stalks, so I am told</div>
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One of the mums at my children's school came to the playround the other day armed with four shopping bags of freshly hacked stalks, determined to give all the cuttings away in order to save her family from a plant threatening to take over the back of her house. Three bundles were given away to mums who had previously put in requests, and as she threateningly swung the last sack towards the remaining crowd I did not hesitate to stake my claim to it, quickly snatching the parcel and cradling it carefully for the two mile journey home, pondering what it would become. A crumble was the obvious choice, but I wanted to incorporate a custard element somehow, as well as some orange flavour that others recommended, so I searched and found a recipe for rhubarb & custard pie with butter crumble.</div>
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But I'm going to call it a tart, because that sounds fancier and more continental. </div>
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I started by making some pastry from Jamie Oliver recipe. I later realised this was a mistake, as it's a fairly short dough that tears easily, and with a custard pie you really need a leakproof base. Live and learn. But yeah, I put a bit of clementine zest in (oops, no oranges in stock) which was a bit pointless as we couldn't taste them anyway, and blind baked it with my trusty jar of pulses and beans as pie weights. Then in went the rhubarb which I had briefly cooked in a pan with some sugar until the sugar dissolved.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivE2HB3q5OFYX3AjvCGEbSKzI9tFPjvl1JONNRYzTJy8j0kRfOTAPRY81Z84KT1aE-PYVEiFdhu_-Z4FwiVthA6koLLnVbZ4biOp0U2B3pxVWDe7vlQlmcx5HQpPg2iAsobKFKWI7OOJU/s640/blogger-image--253296946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivE2HB3q5OFYX3AjvCGEbSKzI9tFPjvl1JONNRYzTJy8j0kRfOTAPRY81Z84KT1aE-PYVEiFdhu_-Z4FwiVthA6koLLnVbZ4biOp0U2B3pxVWDe7vlQlmcx5HQpPg2iAsobKFKWI7OOJU/s640/blogger-image--253296946.jpg" /></a></div>
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On top of this I poured my custard mixture. The recipe called for single cream, but I didn't have any of <i>that</i> either, so I used the last bit of double cream I had and topped it up with whole milk and a touch of vanilla paste just because vanilla makes everything better.<br />
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I baked it until the custard was just starting to set (and the crust just starting to burn).<br />
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And then on went the butter crumble mixture which I had whizzed together in the food processor before adding sliced almonds as an afterthought.<br />
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Back in it went to let the crumble crisp up and to burn the edges of the pastry.<br />
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So yeah...I trimmed off the more, er, <i>caramelised</i> edges.<br />
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Then on a plate it went to cool. The recipe said to eat warm, but then I read the comments section (it's ok to read comments sections on recipes) and everyone was all "HELL TO THE NAW SHOULD YOU EAT THIS HOT! IT NEEDS TO COOL TO MAKE THAT CUSTARD SET, YO! "<br />
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Well, they didn't say it <i>quite</i> like that, but they all agreed that essentially you need to let it cool, as it keeps cooking as it cools and makes it less of a gloopy mess when you slice into it.<br />
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So eventually we did slice into it, and the comments people were right.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEr0F5MyxL0EmDPlEmQNrjA9FNR1b5lP7Ae1vs2UjN3X6ZgxnODl0cpbkRzuymRYLW0rjaBfGKkpuFD31tbdLJ0XAadoIiS1sVKqRzsBpvm8fxYm2d9DFKHt3z7M6wjaD8-hvhtyS40A/s1600/IMG_3825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEr0F5MyxL0EmDPlEmQNrjA9FNR1b5lP7Ae1vs2UjN3X6ZgxnODl0cpbkRzuymRYLW0rjaBfGKkpuFD31tbdLJ0XAadoIiS1sVKqRzsBpvm8fxYm2d9DFKHt3z7M6wjaD8-hvhtyS40A/s640/IMG_3825.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It needed that time! Mary Berry wouldn't have liked the soggy bottom, but it was still tasty. </div>
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Now I know what you are thinking: Why not just make rhubarb custard and pour some fresh custard on it? Isn't that pretty much the same thing? Plus a bit of pastry, maybe?</div>
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BECAUSE I LIKE THINGS FANCY, OK?</div>
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But yeah, I just stewed the rest of the rhubarb and had it on some yogurt, and that was pretty tasty too. Rhubarb is awesome like that. </div>
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Recipe is <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3292/rhubarb-and-custard-pie-with-butter-crumble" target="_blank">here</a>, but I also know how to copy and paste, so it's below too:</div>
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<h1 class="recipe-header__title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: #fcf4ec; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SerifaBT-Light, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 40px; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 40px; margin: 8px 0px 10px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
Rhubarb & custard TART<span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px;"> with butter crumble</span></h1>
<div>
<ul class="ingredients-list__group" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="background: rgb(241, 247, 247); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 6px 10px;">350g <a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-0" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/rhubarb" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;">rhubarb</a><div aria-hidden="true" class="gf-tooltip" id="gf-tooltip-0" role="tooltip" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3s, visibility 0.3s 0.3s; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 10px; border: 2px solid rgb(127, 126, 125); bottom: 17px; box-sizing: border-box; left: 28px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: -175px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.3s, visibility 0.3s 0.3s; visibility: hidden; width: 354px; z-index: 8999700;">
<a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-0" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/rhubarb" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><br />
<div class="gf-tooltip__content" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 5px 10px;">
<a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-0" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/rhubarb" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><br />
<div class="gf-tooltip__text" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-0" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/rhubarb" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><br />
<article class="node node-glossary-item node-teaser node-teaser clearfix main row grid-padding" id="node-252456" role="main" style="background: none; box-sizing: border-box; clear: left; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px auto; min-width: 0px; padding: 10px 6.59375px; position: relative; width: 330px;"><a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-0" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/rhubarb" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><div class="node-image" style="box-sizing: border-box; float: left; height: 75px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 75px;">
<a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-0" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/rhubarb" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/rhubarb" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #447d75; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Rhubarb" src="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/sites/default/files/styles/bbcgf_thumbnail_search/public/glossary/rhubarb.jpg?itok=L3Hl6Qb1" height="100" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" title="Botanically, rhubarb is a vegetable, but its thick, fleshy stalks are treated as a fruit" width="100" /></a></div>
<h2 class="node-title node-glossary-title" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: SerifaBT-Light, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
<a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/rhubarb" style="-webkit-transition: color 75ms linear; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #447d75; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 75ms linear;"></a></h2>
<span class="fonetic text-style-alt" style="border-left-color: rgb(216 , 216 , 216); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(216 , 216 , 216); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-style: italic; padding: 0px 0.5em;"></span><div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-top: 5px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px;">
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</article></div>
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<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 6px 10px;">100g golden caster sugar</li>
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="background: rgb(241, 247, 247); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 6px 10px;">350g sweet shortcrust pastry</li>
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 6px 10px;">1 large egg and 1 egg yolk</li>
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="background: rgb(241, 247, 247); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 6px 10px;">1 tsp vanilla extract</li>
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 6px 10px;">1 tbsp plain flour</li>
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="background: rgb(241, 247, 247); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; padding: 6px 10px;">284ml carton single cream</li>
</ul>
<h3 class="ingredients-list__group-title" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #59a399; font-family: SerifaBT-Light, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding-top: 10px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
For the topping</h3>
<ul class="ingredients-list__group" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="background: rgb(241, 247, 247); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 6px 10px;">50g <a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-1" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary--2 > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/butter" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;">butter</a><div aria-hidden="true" class="gf-tooltip" id="gf-tooltip-1" role="tooltip" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3s, visibility 0.3s 0.3s; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 10px; border: 2px solid rgb(127, 126, 125); bottom: 17px; box-sizing: border-box; left: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: -175px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.3s, visibility 0.3s 0.3s; visibility: hidden; width: 354px; z-index: 8999700;">
<a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-1" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary--2 > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/butter" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><br />
<div class="gf-tooltip__content" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 5px 10px;">
<a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-1" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary--2 > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/butter" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><br />
<div class="gf-tooltip__text" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-1" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary--2 > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/butter" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><br />
<article class="node node-glossary-item node-teaser node-teaser clearfix main row grid-padding" id="node-261201" role="main" style="background: none; box-sizing: border-box; clear: left; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px auto; min-width: 0px; padding: 10px 6.59375px; position: relative; width: 330px;"><a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-1" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary--2 > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/butter" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><div class="node-image" style="box-sizing: border-box; float: left; height: 75px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 75px;">
<a aria-describedby="gf-tooltip-1" class="ingredients-list__glossary-link tooltip-processed" data-tooltip-content="#ingredients-glossary--2 > article" data-tooltip-flyout="true" data-tooltip-hide-delay="200" data-tooltip-width="350" href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/butter" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"></a><a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/butter" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #447d75; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Butter" src="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/sites/default/files/styles/bbcgf_thumbnail_search/public/glossary/butter.jpg?itok=WmVkxpe0" height="100" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" title="Butter" width="100" /></a></div>
<h2 class="node-title node-glossary-title" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: SerifaBT-Light, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
<a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/butter" style="-webkit-transition: color 75ms linear; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #447d75; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; transition: color 75ms linear;"></a></h2>
<span class="fonetic text-style-alt" style="border-left-color: rgb(216 , 216 , 216); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(216 , 216 , 216); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-style: italic; padding: 0px 0.5em;"></span><div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-top: 5px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px;">
</div>
</article></div>
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, melted</li>
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 6px 10px;">50g demerara sugar</li>
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="background: rgb(241, 247, 247); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 6px 10px;">50g porridge oats</li>
<li class="ingredients-list__item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; padding: 6px 10px;">½ tsp ground ginger</li>
<li class="method__item" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(240, 242, 235); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: method 1; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 2px;">
Cut the rhubarb into bite-size pieces, then put them in a frying pan with half the sugar and warm through just until the sugar dissolves. Immediately tip the rhubarb into a bowl with the juices and leave to cool. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C.</div>
</li>
<li class="method__item" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(240, 242, 235); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: method 1; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 2px;">
Roll out the pastry quite thinly and use to line a deep, loose-based 24cm fluted flan tin. Line with greaseproof paper and baking beans and bake for about 20 minutes until the pastry is pale golden and no longer raw.</div>
</li>
<li class="method__item" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(240, 242, 235); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: method 1; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 2px;">
Beat together the egg and egg yolk, vanilla extract, remaining caster sugar and the flour. Gradually whisk in the cream with any juice from the rhubarb (you should have a tablespoonful or two). Now spoon the rhubarb into the prepared pastry case and pour the cream mixture over.</div>
</li>
<li class="method__item" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(240, 242, 235); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: method 1; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 2px;">
Turn the oven temperature up to 200C/gas 6/ fan 180C and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the custard is very lightly set and there is a thin skin on the top.</div>
</li>
<li class="method__item" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(240, 242, 235); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: method 1; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 20px;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 2px;">
Mix together all the topping ingredients and spoon evenly over the pie. Return it to the oven for a further 15 minutes or until the crumble is golden and the custard set with just a little wobble. The top of the pie may have risen and cracked when you take it from the oven but don’t worry as it will settle back again on cooling. COOL COMPLETELY THEN SERVE</div>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-38312914212251077522016-05-11T17:14:00.000+01:002016-05-11T17:14:43.396+01:00Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake(For those who want to skip straight to a copy of the recipe, just go <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/fresh-strawberry-yogurt-cake-426872" target="_blank">here</a> and use raspberries instead of lemons)<br />
<br />
Cricket season has arrived in Edinburgh. What this means is that once a week I take my eldest over to our local grounds for practice. With the sun shining, the children all in their cricket whites, and just the sound of bats hitting their targets, I feel both excited and guilty about being part of it. The pitch is situated in one of the more affluent parts of town, overlooked by a grand mansion with multiple bay windows and a vast garden extending down a steep slope. The views from the pitch extend over to Arthur's Seat and Salisbury Crags and are magnificent in the evening light. Outside are parked family Mercs, Audis, and Range Rovers, and inside the walls lean custom made bicycles that have secure garage storage when at home. Meanwhile the clubhouse itself is just a glorified shed and the club members are prodominantly middle class folk who lean towards the upper end of the spectrum, many obviously eager to climb up, up, up to the top 1%. The club do not discriminate in their members; places are awarded on a first come, first serve basis, but not many working class folk are in the area. So yeah, it all feels just a tad elitist, just not as blatant as an invitation only country club.<br />
<br />
I don't have a new coat, a fancy bike, or a flashy car to show off, so instead I bring culinary creations to prove my worth. You see, part of the charm of the place is a folding table set up at the side, quietly selling tea, coffee, juice, and homemade cakes. Parents nibble delicacies and sip tea on wooden benches as they watch their sons practice (yes, all boys, somehow no girls have expressed interest in joining our local club), then at the end a swarm of young men surround the table to clear it of every last crumb, thrusting their 50 pence pieces at whichever overwhelmed mother has been pulled into duty that week. I have carefully avoided the baking table's rota, telling myself if I just bring cake every week I will have fulfilled my duties as a cricket mother without having to endure excessive smalltalk.<br />
<br />
But what to bring? Last week I delivered some chocolate chip cookies which disappeared quickly, but I discovered the other day that somehow I'd managed to hide 5 different bags of raspberries in my freezer. This meant whatever I made this week would have to be dotted with these berries in order to clear out space for the two monstrous bags of Costco chicken nuggets I had more recently shoved inside (don't judge). Aiming for a show-off factor, I pulled down my fleur de lis bundt tin. All it takes is a lot of oiling (hello, cooking spray, where were you when I needed you this week) a lot of cooling, and some tupperware to transport it and BOOM, you've got yourself a fancy cake. It can taste like sawdust, but people will still ooh and aah when they see it.<br />
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I only grabbed my i-device once I'd put it in the tin, as I was in a wee bit of a rush, but I just loved the look of the batter so much I had to take a photo. Berries make things look pretty.<br />
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,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhutilBm3VN_n0Y0-S-kko_yYYACWtx23McWZAUnVqX2Sr_SOO6_XyXmpxsLfwzil4AM6yhnvS-cE-whMSzm9_zSpWvb8ZcbwoQ0Y9gfJEviQAoacPnie7xcbQH01agHzrP8q4dmV19s/s640/blogger-image--2057636749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhutilBm3VN_n0Y0-S-kko_yYYACWtx23McWZAUnVqX2Sr_SOO6_XyXmpxsLfwzil4AM6yhnvS-cE-whMSzm9_zSpWvb8ZcbwoQ0Y9gfJEviQAoacPnie7xcbQH01agHzrP8q4dmV19s/s640/blogger-image--2057636749.jpg" /></a></div>
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Then in it went. As the berries were still frozen, and I had limited time, I cranked up the heat 30 degrees higher (Celcius) than the recipe said and chanced my luck. After an hour, it looked like this, which was good because the last time I made it at the lower temp it took over an hour and a half to cook through.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNdBvNVAs4yWLjpFgOKhiNMO2Lnq9goCrGuzEIfWkh8Lu9_u14h72J10u8gNP8YT3zffbZfIrvaIv1J7iqpLewW153BMxgyfm0k9mIAtDuXPPN5cnxBPweU67qTWodT8vRk5az0GaIs4/s640/blogger-image--136214688.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNdBvNVAs4yWLjpFgOKhiNMO2Lnq9goCrGuzEIfWkh8Lu9_u14h72J10u8gNP8YT3zffbZfIrvaIv1J7iqpLewW153BMxgyfm0k9mIAtDuXPPN5cnxBPweU67qTWodT8vRk5az0GaIs4/s640/blogger-image--136214688.jpg" /></a></div>
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A few hours cooling, then I turned it out onto some parchment paper. A couple parts had stuck, but not too disastrously.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhOINcXNQrx22jAyqGQbB5q16n4q1iiVvGuximppVrYfvIoN4oDoLAw_hZ_fOnhRD_Ftaxby_yT6hR_wdSZ2GoHq_kpBsW5d9BRblrO0a5rb22glPHJ2JLg27wi9v6L6dVk5vs0tM6NGI/s640/blogger-image--1736743804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhOINcXNQrx22jAyqGQbB5q16n4q1iiVvGuximppVrYfvIoN4oDoLAw_hZ_fOnhRD_Ftaxby_yT6hR_wdSZ2GoHq_kpBsW5d9BRblrO0a5rb22glPHJ2JLg27wi9v6L6dVk5vs0tM6NGI/s640/blogger-image--1736743804.jpg" /></a></div>
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Then a quick stirring of lemon juice and icing sugar for a runny glaze. "IT'S DRIPPING!!!" my three year old son warned me. I reassured him that I meant for it to happen that way, but he just eyed me with great skepticism.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUCiTnr3zS_4XRZAVUToJSb-b6dWt4RVSIvpNfLFRR_5wupI-Y8bWqKyoBPNKB60EwjjHD3duMXX4gIBapMRjbOaVqoK6nay0uOljrBMyCGvM1jn5ALLEaGKJazgLKgrhZ_KzKpZdTPI/s640/blogger-image-902755520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUCiTnr3zS_4XRZAVUToJSb-b6dWt4RVSIvpNfLFRR_5wupI-Y8bWqKyoBPNKB60EwjjHD3duMXX4gIBapMRjbOaVqoK6nay0uOljrBMyCGvM1jn5ALLEaGKJazgLKgrhZ_KzKpZdTPI/s640/blogger-image-902755520.jpg" /></a></div>
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For the record, this is what it looked last time I made it with the slower cooking time and temp...and a more runny glaze:<br />
<img src="https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/421026_10150600648776905_52918778_n.jpg?oh=5ed215fcc06bc52130b58432041b3550&oe=57E7AB73" /><br />
Off it went to cricket. My pride climbed to unhealthy heights when I saw it was the cake that all the adults chose to consume with their evening cuppa. I don't have a photo of the what it looks like when you slice into it, but it really is inviting: golden cake dotted with fresh red raspberries. My cake lady status was preserved.<br />
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The meticulously copied and pasted recipe is below<br />
<h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #353a3b; font-family: TensoMedium, TensoLight, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.22222222em; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.18181818em; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-top: 22px; text-transform: uppercase;">
INGREDIENTS</h3>
<div class="amounts servings_unit" style="background-color: #faf9f5; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353a3b; font-family: TensoLight, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22px; overflow: auto;">
<a class="servings" data-popup-id="#426872_servings" data-target="#426872_servings" data-toggle="modal" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="background: transparent; border-right-color: rgb(229, 226, 219); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #009c7b; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; float: left; letter-spacing: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0.5em 15.421875px 0.22222222em; text-align: center; width: 162px;"><label style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-size: 0.61111111em; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;">SERVINGS</label> <span class="value" style="box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0px;">12</span></a><a class="units" data-popup-id="#426872_units" data-target="#426872_units" data-toggle="modal" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="background: transparent; border-right-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #009c7b; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; float: left; letter-spacing: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0.5em 15.421875px 0.22222222em; text-align: center; width: 162px;"><label style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-size: 0.61111111em; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;">UNITS</label> <span class="value" style="box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0px;">US</span></a></div>
<ul style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #353a3b; font-family: TensoLight, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1.11111111em; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li data-ingredient="butter" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(229, 226, 219); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; letter-spacing: 0px; padding: 0.77777778em 0px 0.77777778em 77.140625px; position: relative;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: "tensomedium" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; height: 50px; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -92.5625px; position: absolute; text-align: right; width: 77.140625px;">1</span>cup <a href="http://www.food.com/about/butter-141" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #009c7b; cursor: pointer; letter-spacing: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">butter</a>, softened</li>
<li data-ingredient="sugar" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(229, 226, 219); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; letter-spacing: 0px; padding: 0.77777778em 0px 0.77777778em 77.140625px; position: relative;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: "tensomedium" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; height: 50px; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -92.5625px; position: absolute; text-align: right; width: 77.140625px;">2</span>cups <a href="http://www.food.com/about/sugar-139" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #009c7b; cursor: pointer; letter-spacing: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">sugar</a></li>
<li data-ingredient="eggs" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(229, 226, 219); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; letter-spacing: 0px; padding: 0.77777778em 0px 0.77777778em 77.140625px; position: relative;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: "tensomedium" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; height: 50px; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -92.5625px; position: absolute; text-align: right; width: 77.140625px;">3</span><a href="http://www.food.com/about/egg-142" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #009c7b; cursor: pointer; letter-spacing: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">eggs</a></li>
<li data-ingredient="lemon+juice" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(229, 226, 219); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; letter-spacing: 0px; padding: 0.77777778em 0px 0.77777778em 77.140625px; position: relative;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: "tensomedium" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; height: 72px; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -92.5625px; position: absolute; text-align: right; width: 77.140625px;">3</span>tablespoons <a href="http://www.food.com/about/lemon-juice-55" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #009c7b; cursor: pointer; letter-spacing: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">lemon juice</a>, divided</li>
<li data-ingredient="lemon" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(229, 226, 219); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; letter-spacing: 0px; padding: 0.77777778em 0px 0.77777778em 77.140625px; position: relative;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: "tensomedium" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; height: 50px; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -92.5625px; position: absolute; text-align: right; width: 77.140625px;">1</span><a href="http://www.food.com/about/lemon-125" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #009c7b; cursor: pointer; letter-spacing: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">lemon</a>, zested</li>
<li data-ingredient="all-purpose+flour" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(229, 226, 219); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; letter-spacing: 0px; padding: 0.77777778em 0px 0.77777778em 77.140625px; position: relative;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: "tensomedium" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; height: 50px; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -92.5625px; position: absolute; text-align: right; width: 77.140625px;">2 <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">1</span>⁄<span style="bottom: -0.25em; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 0; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">2</span></span>cups <a href="http://www.food.com/about/flour-64" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #009c7b; cursor: pointer; letter-spacing: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">all-purpose flour</a>, divided</li>
<li data-ingredient="baking+soda" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(229, 226, 219); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; letter-spacing: 0px; padding: 0.77777778em 0px 0.77777778em 77.140625px; position: relative;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: "tensomedium" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; height: 50px; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -92.5625px; position: absolute; text-align: right; width: 77.140625px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">1</span>⁄<span style="bottom: -0.25em; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 0; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">2</span></span>teaspoon <a href="http://www.food.com/about/baking-soda-7" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #009c7b; cursor: pointer; letter-spacing: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">baking soda</a></li>
<li data-ingredient="salt" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(229, 226, 219); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; letter-spacing: 0px; padding: 0.77777778em 0px 0.77777778em 77.140625px; position: relative;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: "tensomedium" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; height: 50px; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -92.5625px; position: absolute; text-align: right; width: 77.140625px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">1</span>⁄<span style="bottom: -0.25em; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 0; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">2</span></span>teaspoon <a href="http://www.food.com/about/salt-359" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #009c7b; cursor: pointer; letter-spacing: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">salt</a></li>
<li data-ingredient="Greek+yogurt" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(229, 226, 219); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; letter-spacing: 0px; padding: 0.77777778em 0px 0.77777778em 77.140625px; position: relative;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: "tensomedium" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; height: 72px; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -92.5625px; position: absolute; text-align: right; width: 77.140625px;">8</span>ounces plain Greek yogurt or 8 ounces <a href="http://www.food.com/about/vanilla-350" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #009c7b; cursor: pointer; letter-spacing: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">vanilla</a>, greek yogurt</li>
<li data-ingredient="fresh+strawberries" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(229, 226, 219); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; letter-spacing: 0px; padding: 0.77777778em 0px 0.77777778em 77.140625px; position: relative;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: "tensomedium" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; height: 72px; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -92.5625px; position: absolute; text-align: right; width: 77.140625px;">12</span>ounces raspberries</li>
<li data-ingredient="powdered+sugar" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; letter-spacing: 0px; padding: 0.77777778em 0px 0.77777778em 77.140625px; position: relative;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: "tensomedium" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; height: 50px; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: -92.5625px; position: absolute; text-align: right; width: 77.140625px;">1</span>cup <a href="http://www.food.com/about/powdered-sugar-140" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #009c7b; cursor: pointer; letter-spacing: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">powdered sugar</a></li>
</ul>
<div>
<h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #353a3b; font-family: TensoMedium, TensoLight, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.22222222em; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.18181818em; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-top: 22px; text-transform: uppercase;">
dIRECTIONS</h3>
<ol class="expanded" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353a3b; font-family: TensoLight, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; position: relative;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.11111111em;">Preheat oven to 325*. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sift together the 2 ¼ cups of flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in the lemon zest and set aside.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.11111111em;">With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 Tb. lemon juice. Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the yogurt, mixing just until incorporated.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.11111111em;">Toss the raspberries with the remaining ¼ cup of flour. Gently mix them into the batter.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.11111111em;">Pour the batter into the Bundt pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.11111111em;">Allow to cool 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Once cooled whisk together the remaining 2 Tb. of lemon juice and the powdered sugar. Drizzle over the top of the cake.</li>
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Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-3624703686030233422015-10-31T14:57:00.000+00:002015-10-31T14:58:15.950+00:00Samhain Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
I've done it! Now that I'm British I've made my first authentic Jack'O'Lantern out of a turnip/swede/rutabaga! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KFlYx6Wgudg6Ws0OYaNXEAFtIiTKkfVwoWPTZpGnAjSwbjsGQlvyNMHf0ps277-TF68GssXSfiN25hZ757tUcAn9WDX09ejCE2YxkNlW8XPXTMpAMI014YXt-RrnHTCBD8K0JsfEaPc/s640/blogger-image-1560244142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KFlYx6Wgudg6Ws0OYaNXEAFtIiTKkfVwoWPTZpGnAjSwbjsGQlvyNMHf0ps277-TF68GssXSfiN25hZ757tUcAn9WDX09ejCE2YxkNlW8XPXTMpAMI014YXt-RrnHTCBD8K0JsfEaPc/s640/blogger-image-1560244142.jpg" /></a></div>
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This was actually my third one, as I carved the first two out at work and even won a prize for one of them! As you may guess, they are a lot more work than a pumpkin, but they aren't so messy either. No gloop!</div>
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But that left the question: what do do with all the scooped out vegetable innards???? I could have made soup (the obvious choice) or made haggis, neeps, and tatties (a wonderful choice as well) but I decided to try carrot cake's cousin: turnip cake.</div>
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It was, er, interesting and not as bad as one might expect. Everyone who has tried it has been pleasantly surprised, but I don't honestly think it will give carrot cake a run for its money. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldjJYTEEZCNz-2pCuH5o6mUXbK6gjV9_t4kNVi0n2pNUs2vfl5qi4dfOSmLSTS-IKlbkJJlDezIoulwe9y29pY9t3xZEuOCECf1ucVBSTEFA8piBzTtWeyuL3DswSgU-vZqhlbYc14ZQ/s640/blogger-image-1928939168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldjJYTEEZCNz-2pCuH5o6mUXbK6gjV9_t4kNVi0n2pNUs2vfl5qi4dfOSmLSTS-IKlbkJJlDezIoulwe9y29pY9t3xZEuOCECf1ucVBSTEFA8piBzTtWeyuL3DswSgU-vZqhlbYc14ZQ/s200/blogger-image-1928939168.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmoHSDO0CdewhB_Y65Ykz16mhd6-Dn-Dg49zEQGf1ZpjFXhSK-Xa-n8NxK6Y2mI6FxwnJOI3tlUyeltyGPJf30wrNGZjYvK1-34C7JLwm75ywAEibE5tPpWKXqAZ0OgTKiNyFJT9HmaBM/s640/blogger-image-1475660195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmoHSDO0CdewhB_Y65Ykz16mhd6-Dn-Dg49zEQGf1ZpjFXhSK-Xa-n8NxK6Y2mI6FxwnJOI3tlUyeltyGPJf30wrNGZjYvK1-34C7JLwm75ywAEibE5tPpWKXqAZ0OgTKiNyFJT9HmaBM/s320/blogger-image-1475660195.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you wish to give it a shot, the recipe is <a href="http://veggiedesserts.co.uk/swede-rutabaga-nutmeg-cake-with-brown-butter-frosting-and-salted-hazelnuts/" target="_blank">here</a> (and below).</div>
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If not, just enjoy the many faces of my colleagues' Jack'O'Lanterns!!!</div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Happy Hallowe'en!</span></div>
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Swede (Rutabega) Nutmeg Cake with Brown Butter Frosting and Salted<br />
Hazelnuts<br />
Ingredients<br />
For the cake:<br />
150g (1 cup, packed) raw peeled and grated swede (rutabega)<br />
3 eggs<br />
175g (¾ cup) sugar<br />
100g (½ cup) plain full-fat yogurt<br />
100ml (½ cup) rapeseed or vegetable oil<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
250g (2 ½ cups) plain (self-raising) flour<br />
2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
½ teaspoon bicarb of soda (baking soda)<br />
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg<br />
½ teaspoon salt<br />
For the brown butter frosting:<br />
400g (3 cups) powdered icing sugar<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
3-4 tablespoons milk<br />
115g (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
To serve:<br />
30g (¼ cup) salted hazelnuts, chopped<br />
Instructions<br />
For the cake:<br />
1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease and line a 9” square cake tin with parchment paper.<br />
2. Beat the eggs, sugar, yogurt, oil and vanilla together well. Stir in the grated swede. Sift in the flour,<br />
baking powder, bicarb of soda, nutmeg and salt and gently stir to combine.<br />
3. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cool<br />
for 10 minutes in the tin and then turn onto a wire rack, removing the parchment paper, to cool<br />
completely.<br />
For the frosting<br />
1. Put the icing sugar, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk into a large bowl. Set aside.<br />
2. In a saucepan over a low heat, melt the butter and continue to heat until it turns brown and smells nutty.<br />
Pour into the bowl of powdered sugar and beat until thick and smooth, adding more milk if necessary.<br />
3. Top the cooled cake with the frosting and sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts.<br />
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Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-91312116380386342002015-10-28T21:55:00.000+00:002015-10-28T21:55:36.793+00:00Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Icing<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Q7qYsQj6C91d5PZtJfjDoImzupY29Iw8R0GUoo0-MsLYorYmOw0Jg61T4UBTFaXAR9mq3YFKXEQuX-xsE7ZEHqttRcQX14kvpNiytw1Vru8gvLLRHZaDxKk7UlqIDaNf9c2IRcFUE6c/s640/blogger-image-1026105419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Q7qYsQj6C91d5PZtJfjDoImzupY29Iw8R0GUoo0-MsLYorYmOw0Jg61T4UBTFaXAR9mq3YFKXEQuX-xsE7ZEHqttRcQX14kvpNiytw1Vru8gvLLRHZaDxKk7UlqIDaNf9c2IRcFUE6c/s640/blogger-image-1026105419.jpg" /></a>The other day I was chatting to the staff at my son's playgroup when pumpkins came up. We were discussing how <i>true</i> jack'o'lanterns are made from swedes/turnips/rutabagas NOT pumpkins. We who have only ever carved pumpkins have no appreciation for the blood (literally) shed for the creation of these Hallowe'en lanterns in years gone by, now a dying art since pumpkins flood the Scottish shops in October. I did confess I tend to carve pumpkins out of interest for my children's safety and because you can cook a lot more tasty things with a pumpkin than you can from a turnip. The staff nodded, but then they confessed they had never actually eaten any pumpkin apart from pumpkin seeds. I decided this was no good, that something had to be done.<br />
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The easiest solution was these: Pumpkin bars. Easy to throw together, and generally popular with everyone (apart, perhaps, from anyone with a dairy allergy). I first had them when a friend brought some along to another playgroup and immediately asked for the recipe. I'll warn you though, it's Paula Deen....<br />
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<img alt="Image result for paula deen deating" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRipohUflHVuewc7Qz2n1mUvcGQa2L2CzLAPieDB5FMSezzCUPs" /><br />
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She's made some not-so-great choices, I know, but she does have some good recipes. Well, I've heard she does, I think I've only tried this one and maybe one other one sometime. I did once gag when I looked at a few of her other ones. So...much...oil...and...sugar...<br />
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Speaking of which, you start this one off with some oil and sugar. And this is what it looks like when you've finally run out of your huge Costco bag of sugar and need to throw in some brown sugar.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-bNsg0pRDnNqMMxFxEO0D4XbDMaOLdwXqabzMIoB67hJ3gjRPS9amnNqWn6JeKiFhAOQmwjLhHiAmAMGYJr0PcLLmHS3Dh-Pnzum0tDg5L51NPNw_ZlF0DLzxrscjSYXZxlOST0W2Ho/s640/blogger-image--881413108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-bNsg0pRDnNqMMxFxEO0D4XbDMaOLdwXqabzMIoB67hJ3gjRPS9amnNqWn6JeKiFhAOQmwjLhHiAmAMGYJr0PcLLmHS3Dh-Pnzum0tDg5L51NPNw_ZlF0DLzxrscjSYXZxlOST0W2Ho/s200/blogger-image--881413108.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYEuZ6m0aiGssAkm28ea_i7B-5ClAHa4fWDh-EMW6iahfSvT4zAiMVxuPs0LWShxCYL3-ISjFifgyedzZIsfDoN7_m1sBLhlHlNIi9vmyoc-SZNYx2IOuSFiNsSjZhBA8LMIlgNrX3Hk/s640/blogger-image-85706610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYEuZ6m0aiGssAkm28ea_i7B-5ClAHa4fWDh-EMW6iahfSvT4zAiMVxuPs0LWShxCYL3-ISjFifgyedzZIsfDoN7_m1sBLhlHlNIi9vmyoc-SZNYx2IOuSFiNsSjZhBA8LMIlgNrX3Hk/s200/blogger-image-85706610.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Some Lidl eggs went in . Then a whole can of pumpkin. I really like that the recipe uses a whole can, so I don't have a partial can taking up space in my fridge/freezer, demanding I organise its use before it grows something/gets frostbite. Alternatively, you could steam, puree, and drain your lantern after hallowe'en and use roughly the same amount as a can of Libby's. Your choice!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90DSjAYLFctP_aoSAh0bd64aYjWR__4jcSvsUzFXfY92FTDq_n3QvPHrXoysYP2pzGGdIyHx0RomXEuaju5Hr4AtNMHWsgD-U5TfpG8mgkHikkjOgQ9nnGIi72ybSoAeBd3Wb-0KyQXU/s640/blogger-image-227720431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90DSjAYLFctP_aoSAh0bd64aYjWR__4jcSvsUzFXfY92FTDq_n3QvPHrXoysYP2pzGGdIyHx0RomXEuaju5Hr4AtNMHWsgD-U5TfpG8mgkHikkjOgQ9nnGIi72ybSoAeBd3Wb-0KyQXU/s200/blogger-image-227720431.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1uLFWP4ZYJOrJ4-2h_RwD3ehRDCl1FRhHZ3sChb3aS9KzxUSX0Cd9hJQM8HtoFTyDphkharm5nNjXX1PuHv9q_MCjKuMCCD4siT9zV3zsTQczR5lzqY_ZnaM1GQS5eRaylvKlX0d69k/s640/blogger-image--1220274858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1uLFWP4ZYJOrJ4-2h_RwD3ehRDCl1FRhHZ3sChb3aS9KzxUSX0Cd9hJQM8HtoFTyDphkharm5nNjXX1PuHv9q_MCjKuMCCD4siT9zV3zsTQczR5lzqY_ZnaM1GQS5eRaylvKlX0d69k/s200/blogger-image--1220274858.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Last, but not least, in went some flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Costco cinnamon is the best. Really. It's amazing. Go get some now. NOW.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-LaWkCR_REAU97k65mZ7V9eIZq3d67yqkzjHuEMz6-LGYzBpHKhPD-P20Xj3sZP6ZtjxLju9RPEuyLMLfHbAtboU1DEEw0tgZAgPpkBCqqRJ9AGlJ-6vQwITCEFRQOoxwmR8l6a032I/s640/blogger-image-209789086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-LaWkCR_REAU97k65mZ7V9eIZq3d67yqkzjHuEMz6-LGYzBpHKhPD-P20Xj3sZP6ZtjxLju9RPEuyLMLfHbAtboU1DEEw0tgZAgPpkBCqqRJ9AGlJ-6vQwITCEFRQOoxwmR8l6a032I/s200/blogger-image-209789086.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOD8W7uRJO3R_H8N8Deoab3fTrHJ9iywr7qTQp5DjEM7aSlQ3uOMAf6tNgZmfpYnF8VIngWV8geK05BktqmjZ_cGAc0OupLhIbxvScu4wO3EG9F8MXlOEDvDsKboSwz26Q0vcZrlpVwg/s640/blogger-image-1981701762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOD8W7uRJO3R_H8N8Deoab3fTrHJ9iywr7qTQp5DjEM7aSlQ3uOMAf6tNgZmfpYnF8VIngWV8geK05BktqmjZ_cGAc0OupLhIbxvScu4wO3EG9F8MXlOEDvDsKboSwz26Q0vcZrlpVwg/s200/blogger-image-1981701762.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Then in it went into my lined 9 X 13 pan. I love this pan, it makes American recipes possible on a regular basis.<br />
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It came out looking like this, then sank a bit, but I didn't care because the knife came out clean which means no one will get food poisoning. </div>
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The icing was a simple mix of a tub of cream cheese (about 180g I think), with roughly the same amount of butter (more butter is required in the UK as we can't get firm blocks of cream cheese here), a splash of vanilla, and perhaps just short of a cup of powdered sugar (though the recipe called for 2 cups) all put into a food processor at room temperature and pulsed until smooth-ish. I then put it in a freezer bag, cut off the corner, and squirted blobs onto the cooled squares.<br />
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The staff said I was most welcome to bring these in again, anytime. And another friend who also sampled a portion asked for the recipe too, so Paula Deen, we salute you. </div>
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<span style="background-color: #efece3; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;">Ingredients (adapted)</span></div>
<span style="background-color: #efece3; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;">Bars:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #efece3; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;">4 eggs</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #efece3; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;">1 2/3 cups granulated sugar</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #efece3; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;">1 cup vegetable oil</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #efece3; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;">15 -ounce can pumpkin</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #efece3; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;">2 cups sifted all-purpose flour</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #efece3; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;">2 teaspoons baking powder</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #efece3; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;">2 teaspoons ground cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #efece3; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;">1 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #efece3; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;">1 teaspoon baking soda</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #efece3; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;">Icing:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #efece3; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;">8 -ounce package cream cheese, softened</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #efece3; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;">7 oz cup butter , softened</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #efece3; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;">1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #efece3; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</span><br />
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Directions</div>
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<span style="background-color: #efece3; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;">Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/180C</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #efece3; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;">Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #efece3; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;">To make the icing: Combine ingredients in food processor and pulse until smooth. </span><br />
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Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-49443727772962502122015-10-24T16:52:00.000+01:002015-10-24T16:55:03.966+01:00Apricot & Almond TartLast week, my family and I travelled over to Northern Ireland to visit some family. While there, my husband's cousin asked if I would be willing to make the pudding for the family's Sunday dinner while the others went to Sunday services, and I happily agreed to this plan.<br />
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When we entered the kitchen, a Jamie Oliver cookbook was thrust upon me with this <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fruit-recipes/plum-and-almond-tart/" target="_blank">Frangipane plum tart recipe</a>.<br />
A few pages earlier was the pastry <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/eggs-recipes/sweet-pastry/#lpgJpAf6IztF4ETe.97" target="_blank">recipe</a>.<br />
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Now, I had expected something like, you know, a crumble, to throw together easily at a leasurely pace, not something that requires about 6 hours if you follow the recipe to the letter. On top of this, we were short of a few ingredients, we didn't have the right size tin, and there were no pie weights (or dried pulses) to hand for blind baking the pastry.<br />
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I managed to put some semblance of a tart together in the end (improvising with garden stones for pie weights) which was, er, rather "caramelized" on top, but it was eaten enthusiastically by the adults and even by a couple of adventurous children (my kids were more interested in ice cream, sadly). Pleasantly surprised by it, I resolved to go home and make a similar one, in a more suitably sized tin, and with apricots rather than plums as I love me some apricots.<br />
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Yesterday morning, I was faced with a question: should I clean up the flat while my two older kids were at school, or should I make a tart? A couple hours later, this emerged from the oven:<br />
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It looked a bit sad, really, so I looked at the recipe again and saw that it suggested an apricot jam glaze. I didn't have any of said ingredient at that moment, so off I went to get the kids, picking up jam on the way. After depositing kids at gymnastics with their father, I dashed home, quickly microwaved some jam, and spread it over the top:<br />
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Ahhhh...better. It was then shoved into a bag and brought into work, served with posh Sainsbury's custard. One colleague was disgusted when I said I'd brought apricot tart, but then she saw it and decided she had to try some...there were no crumbs left on her plate. So if nothing else, I convinced someone to eat apricots yesterday. Get your 5 a day every day, people. </div>
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Jamie Oliver's fancy recipe page is <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/magazine/recipes-view.php?title=apricot-tart" target="_blank">here</a>, but I've also copied and pasted below...and as I did this, I just realized I completely left out the oranges when I made this. Ooops: </div>
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Apricot Tart </div>
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<i>from Jamie Oliver's Magazine</i></div>
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<h3 style="background: rgb(158, 209, 209); color: #72a4a5; font-family: georgia, tahoma, arial, serif; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 4px 6px; text-transform: uppercase; width: 460px;">
INGREDIENTS</h3>
• 500g sweet pastry<br />
• 12 ripe apricots, halved and stones removed (or 2 x 400g tins apricot<br />
halves, drained)<br />
• 100g sugar, plus extra for sprinkling<br />
• 4 tbsp apricot jam<br />
• Crème fraîche or ice cream, to serve (optional)<br />
<strong><br />Filling</strong><br />
• 300g ground almonds<br />
• 225g sugar<br />
• 225g butter, at room temperature<br />
• 3 heaped tbsp flour<br />
• 4 eggs<br />
• Zest of 2 oranges, juice of 1<br />
• 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out (or<br />
1 tsp vanilla bean paste)</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.4399995803833px;">1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Place the pastry on a floured surface and roll out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Lift over a rolling pin then unroll it onto a 28cm fluted tart tin. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.4399995803833px;">2. Gently ease the pastry into the tin, making sure it is pressed into the fluted edges. Trim the edges with a sharp knife and pierce the pastry base a few times with a fork. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes – this will stop it shrinking when baked.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.4399995803833px;">3. Meanwhile, blitz all the filling ingredients in a food processor so it forms a thick paste.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.4399995803833px;">4. Once chilled, place the pastry in its tin on a baking tray and loosely cover with a sheet of baking paper, letting it hang over the edges. Fill with baking beans or rice.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.4399995803833px;">5. If using fresh apricots, place them cut-side down in a large shallow pan with the sugar and 275ml of water, then cook over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes, or until slightly softened but not mushy. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.4399995803833px;">6. Bake the pastry case blind for 15 minutes, or until slightly coloured, then remove from the oven. Take out the baking paper and the baking beans or rice, and return the pastry to the oven for a further 10 minutes. Once it has a nice colour, leave it to cool slightly before adding the filling, then press in the apricots, cut-side up. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the filling has almost set and is coloured on top. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.4399995803833px;">7. Heat the jam in a small pan over a medium heat until melted. Brush over the tart to glaze, and leave to set. Once set, serve with crème fraîche or ice cream, if you like.</span></div>
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Sweet Pastry</div>
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Ingredients</h4>
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<div class="col-md-12 ingred-metric" style="box-sizing: border-box; float: left; min-height: 1px; padding-left: 25px; padding-right: 25px; position: relative; width: 678.703125px;">
<ul class="ingred-list" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;">250 g plain flour , plus extra for dusting</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;">50 g icing sugar</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;">125 g good-quality unsalted cold butter , cut into small cubes</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;">1 orange , (optional)</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;">1 vanilla pod , halved and seeds scraped out (optional)</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;">1 large free-range egg , beaten</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;">a splash of milk</li>
</ul>
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Method</h4>
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<i style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Everyone needs a good, basic pastry recipe, and this is one you can rely on. It’s easily adaptable if you want to add extra flavours like orange zest or vanilla – or even a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon – and is really simple to knock up. If you have any pastry left over, simply wrap it in clingfilm and freeze it to use another time.</i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">You can make your pastry like this by hand, or pulse it in a food processor. From a height, sieve your flour and icing sugar into a large mixing bowl. Using your fingertips, gently work the cubes of butter into the flour and sugar until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. If using orange or vanilla for extra flavour, either finely grate in the zest of your orange or add the seeds from the vanilla pod and mix again.</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Read more at http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/eggs-recipes/sweet-pastry/#TmktueWtSKiK2L57.99</span><br />
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Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-80469080694875775642015-10-24T14:47:00.000+01:002015-10-24T14:49:27.802+01:00Sweet and Strong Hare<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGRJzG9_4-zCM3611oIm3jd1E7tHUCh-dIL8u5y6CEw2fM-AlHYdQ00NqCZ4G1SqfP9kbuNzYZ7dHJBdPGHAej5cRKzlkRKTIydyeQugk1yAGDrcllYjvEqyy5pLM5tAlq2A0rvKvw3o/s640/blogger-image--24245252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGRJzG9_4-zCM3611oIm3jd1E7tHUCh-dIL8u5y6CEw2fM-AlHYdQ00NqCZ4G1SqfP9kbuNzYZ7dHJBdPGHAej5cRKzlkRKTIydyeQugk1yAGDrcllYjvEqyy5pLM5tAlq2A0rvKvw3o/s400/blogger-image--24245252.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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On Saturday mornings, when all in my household are well and the weather is not too horrific, you will find me at our local farmers' market. It is a relatively small affair, with only some 30 or so stalls in total on a busy week, but there you can find items you really can't find easily in your local supermarket. The vegetables are ugly and obscure, the eggs don't just come from hens, and the hand crafted items are, well, very obviously hand crafted, shall we say.<br />
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The main draw for me is the meat. Puddledub bacon is the best bacon you'll find in Scotland. Really. And you can get great other cuts of really good meat at far cheaper prices than the butcher would offer for the same stuff. For example, the chickens I buy there I pay about £10 for (which is still pricey compared to a supermarket factory farmed bird, I know) but at the butcher's the same bird will cost you £25.<br />
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The first time I tried hare was when my husband brought home a bloody, skinned carcass from the farm where he worked and announced it would be dinner. I was skeptical, but he prepared jugged hare it was, indeed, very flavourful. Hares are far bigger than rabbits, so you really get a good amount of meat off of one of these violent creatures.<br />
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My preferred recipe now is one found in a book my mother sent me, an Italian cookbook named <i>The Silver Spoon</i>, which is some kind of Italian institution (or so its cover tells me). Its secret ingredient is chocolate - a small amount is all you need to add complexity and depth to the sauce enveloping the hare. You basically just slowly simmer the meat in some booze and stock until it is tender, then add sultanas and simmer some more, then some nuts, dark chocolate, vinegar and a tiny bit of sugar. Once that all comes together, it's easiest to just remove all the meat and put it in the sauce for simple serving, which we did alongside some roast potatoes and cauliflower in cheese sauce. No calories were counted in the creation of this meal.<br />
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For a good cauliflower cheese I recommend you try <a href="http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/red-leicester-cauliflower-cheese" target="_blank">Nigella Lawson's recipe</a>. For the next time you bag yourself a hare, try this recipe below:</div>
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<b>Sweet and Strong Hare</b></div>
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<i>from The Silver Spoon</i></div>
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<i>serves 6-8</i></div>
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<b>Ingredients</b>:</div>
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2 Tbsp olive oil</div>
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25g butter</div>
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40g smoked bacon bits</div>
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1 hare, cut into pieces</div>
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2 Tbsp plain flour</div>
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175ml red wine</div>
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175ml meat stock</div>
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1 bay leaf</div>
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50g sultanas</div>
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25g pine nuts or sliced almonds</div>
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25g plain chocolate, grated</div>
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1 tsp white wine vinegar</div>
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t tsp sugar</div>
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salt and pepper</div>
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<b>Method</b>:</div>
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Heat the olive oil and butter in a pan, add the bacon bits and hare and cook over a medium heat, turning and stirring frequently, until the pieces of hare are browned all over. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with half the flour, mix well and cook for about 10 minutes. Pour in the wine and stock, add the bay leaf, lower the heat and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, put the sultanas in a bowl, add warm water to cover, and leave to soak for 15 minutes, then drain and squeeze out. Stir the sultanas and pine nuts into the pan and simmer for a further 30 minutes. Mix together the chocolate, the remaining flour, the vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl, then stir in 3-4 Tbsp water. Pour the mixture into the pan and bring just to the boil. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Serve the hare covered in this ancient chocolate sauce. </div>
Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338537620861925630.post-20186044282439254092015-07-15T14:52:00.000+01:002015-07-15T14:52:21.353+01:00Aubergine and Green Bean Curry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM34fPoTRU_NXwwT1sbYbQsUlPjyJ0I7215oC9XFLUi3TBLAi7TMKRZjbcbELLSlnX4sbYhN0XC6JFroJTAI_l8ncw9KoZEO-Ms9EJMRsJSDSX8swZHLgOY2zaHfjGP0EWYBRMhaRN8rs/s1600/2015-07-13_17-40-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM34fPoTRU_NXwwT1sbYbQsUlPjyJ0I7215oC9XFLUi3TBLAi7TMKRZjbcbELLSlnX4sbYhN0XC6JFroJTAI_l8ncw9KoZEO-Ms9EJMRsJSDSX8swZHLgOY2zaHfjGP0EWYBRMhaRN8rs/s640/2015-07-13_17-40-20.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Yup, no school run means more cookin'. Time to grill some auberine.</div>
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This time in wedges for a curry. I then made some curry paste with onion, coriander, cumin, garlic, lemongrass, turmeric, ginger, and a couple of mild chillis.</div>
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Have I mentioned I love my food processor? It's the kind of love that really lasts.<br />
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The paste and grilled aubergine went in the fridge overnight, because I was fed up with cooking at that point and my husband offered to cook something else instead.<br />
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So the next day, when we got back from our outing, I cooked the paste for a while, then put in the aubergines (5 in total).<br />
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In went a can of tomatoes and a can of coconut milk.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxNFlUeW48V3yKT4jfF1QAJfKXUCMLhrmpvC7flxdBvxA3jB0PpLFI-nFmq5ODIVPXwm4dsVki3omB0vhcsSg0WLxS19ZtVCApBuPHoY7-zUrvcNiotx8J1Sc3bR63lq8gAv9uWU1l7Y/s1600/2015-07-13_17-14-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxNFlUeW48V3yKT4jfF1QAJfKXUCMLhrmpvC7flxdBvxA3jB0PpLFI-nFmq5ODIVPXwm4dsVki3omB0vhcsSg0WLxS19ZtVCApBuPHoY7-zUrvcNiotx8J1Sc3bR63lq8gAv9uWU1l7Y/s400/2015-07-13_17-14-25.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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That went in to simmer for a half hour and looked like a gloupy mess.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBrGhN18DvlO4mIwDVNmCRtW27iwo-wa4klICzXn94S8QLWoTRAIN09uWV4JVnmjkkD1NwR0urxB6ymE7e-thI16RanockZ13fCtIgTUDFZfsbpBZsdDgJnJsZc8J3fA3a_DL8NK2qT0/s1600/2015-07-13_17-20-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBrGhN18DvlO4mIwDVNmCRtW27iwo-wa4klICzXn94S8QLWoTRAIN09uWV4JVnmjkkD1NwR0urxB6ymE7e-thI16RanockZ13fCtIgTUDFZfsbpBZsdDgJnJsZc8J3fA3a_DL8NK2qT0/s400/2015-07-13_17-20-11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I toasted some cashews. If you pronounce it Ca-SHOOOOO! you can pretend you are sneezing.<br />
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Once the curry had simmered long enough I put in green beans just long enough really to heat them through, a few minutes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMXr3c0B7cNAguB-0lUKVhvlG3U_D8RpnPwc2BsI5iU63IK5-zrynBBwgjkW7VJyfq1Cpg71pYeeh6FgAKzlN8ORn5W_TUnfgUjsCqfKCzJTZrrWj_lbGBJZjktBK4d1mCupXLKBPaQc/s1600/2015-07-13_17-32-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMXr3c0B7cNAguB-0lUKVhvlG3U_D8RpnPwc2BsI5iU63IK5-zrynBBwgjkW7VJyfq1Cpg71pYeeh6FgAKzlN8ORn5W_TUnfgUjsCqfKCzJTZrrWj_lbGBJZjktBK4d1mCupXLKBPaQc/s400/2015-07-13_17-32-14.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And I artfully chopped some cilantro/fresh coriander on a chopping board that was given to us as a wedding gift. It took us some 7 years to gather the courage to actually use it (it's real purdy), but we're over that now.<br />
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And finally, it all went together on some rice. All was well with the world, especially since there was enough left over to make another family meal for the freezer. Of course, when I say "family meal", I mean my husband and I will eat it, my eldest will force half of his down, and the other two will try to dig out the rice not touching the curry.<br />
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For the recipe, you can go <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/aug/26/vegetable-recipes-fearnley-whittingstall" target="_blank">here</a>, or find it copied and pasted below:</div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px;">
<strong>For the curry paste</strong><br /><em>5-6 shallots (or 1 onion), peeled and finely chopped</em><br /><em>6 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped</em><br /><em>2 thumb-sized pieces ginger, peeled and roughly chopped</em><br /><em>2 lemongrass stalks, tough outer layers removed, finely sliced</em><br /><em>5-6 green chillies (medium-hot), deseeded and roughly chopped</em><br /><em>2 tsp ground cumin</em><br /><em>2 tsp ground coriander</em><br /><em>1 tsp ground turmeric</em></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px;">
<strong>For the curry</strong><br /><em>5 large aubergines</em><br /><em>About 6 tbsp sunflower oil</em><br /><em>300ml passata, or sieved roasted tomatoes</em><br /><em>400ml tin coconut milk</em><br /><em>300g french beans</em><br /><em>Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</em><br /><em>1 handful chopped coriander leaves</em><br /><em>75g cashews or almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)</em><br /><em>Lime wedges, to serve</em></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px;">
Put all the curry paste ingredients in a blender with a tablespoon of water; whizz to a coarse paste. If necessary, stop the motor a few times so you can scrape down the sides.</div>
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Cut each aubergine in half lengthways, cut each half into three lengthways, then halve each piece, so you end up with 12 wedges from each aubergine.</div>
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Heat two or three tablespoons of oil over a medium-high heat in a large, nonstick frying pan. Sauté the aubergine wedges in batches, until lightly browned, adding more oil as needed. As you remove each cooked batch from the pan, lay the wedges on kitchen paper to drain.</div>
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Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large, deep saucepan and add half the curry paste (refrigerate the rest for another use). Fry over medium heat, stirring constantly, for three to four minutes, then add the aubergines and stir for a minute or two until coated with the spice mixture. Add the passata and coconut milk, and simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes. Add the french beans and simmer until tender – about five minutes.</div>
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Season generously, then stir in the chopped coriander. If using the nuts, scatter them over the top. Serve with lime wedges and rice.</div>
<br />Calwell Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10922236034622766360noreply@blogger.com0