tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63544145878074797642024-02-19T03:54:33.363+00:00Frog End FoodHelenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13624194722106155800noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6354414587807479764.post-58591325403736672022013-05-21T10:17:00.002+01:002013-05-21T10:17:11.500+01:00Gooseberry and orange drizzle cake (2 colours)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-h_rcXTKaoeSI9SnIKtfXGYvKCgJf3rm4TO6wyNDzeZfhAkO_NkDACvMMe9DFHiMLwneq_TTFK53GSRboT38y04BRXNATyBJM97dW3VvTYkFmreX1Hg6YToaRsKVrNEUyM8b9clp5Kw/s1600/Cake_gooseberry_and_orange_drizzle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-h_rcXTKaoeSI9SnIKtfXGYvKCgJf3rm4TO6wyNDzeZfhAkO_NkDACvMMe9DFHiMLwneq_TTFK53GSRboT38y04BRXNATyBJM97dW3VvTYkFmreX1Hg6YToaRsKVrNEUyM8b9clp5Kw/s320/Cake_gooseberry_and_orange_drizzle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #5555ff;">Ingredients</span></b> <br />
Butter - 225 g, softened<br />
Self-raising flour - 225 g<br />
Caster sugar - 225 g<br />
Orange - juice & grated rind of 1<br />
Eggs - 4<br />
Gooseberries - 225 g<br />
Granulated sugar - 140 g <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #5555ff;">Methods</span></b><br />
1) Cream together the butter, flour, caster sugar, orange rind and eggs in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. <br />
2) Gently stir in the gooseberries and then pour into a 20 x 30 cm baking tin.<br />
3) Bake at 180°C for 35 minutes until a skewer comes out clean (I covered mine with foil after 20 minutes so that the top didn't burn).<br />
4) Mix together the juice of the orange and the granulated sugar. Prick the cake with a fork and pour over the orange syrup. Leave to cool and then cut into squares or bars. Serves 12.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13624194722106155800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6354414587807479764.post-25272527553483716092013-03-18T21:07:00.003+00:002013-03-23T19:27:59.497+00:00Chocolate fingers (0 colours)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCviKM7Lbh6-mRyG4pH7YD96jxFzjFcN2VFzL6NK4uHAprPLbKFCcNyhazDXemPQM6Ev1raptRY1WwGWQl_PdWhf3oo0Ep7FXzjHad2-ydEp0_Mv8GaROga3FnHpf-e63NSxuBY5BvrTA/s1600/Fingers_chocolate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCviKM7Lbh6-mRyG4pH7YD96jxFzjFcN2VFzL6NK4uHAprPLbKFCcNyhazDXemPQM6Ev1raptRY1WwGWQl_PdWhf3oo0Ep7FXzjHad2-ydEp0_Mv8GaROga3FnHpf-e63NSxuBY5BvrTA/s320/Fingers_chocolate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #5555ff;">Ingredients</span></b> <br />
Block margarine - 115 g<br />
Golden syrup - 90 g<br />
Digestive biscuits (not the chocolate ones) - 250 g, crushed<br />
Dessicated coconut - 60 g<br />
Cocoa - 2 tbsp<br />
Cooking chocolate - 150 g <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #5555ff;">Methods</span></b><br />
1) Melt the margarine and syrup together in a saucepan. Turn off the heat and then add the biscuits, coconut and cocoa to the pan.<br />
2) Stir until well combined and then spoon into a small brownie tin. Place the tin in the fridge and leave to cool for half an hour.<br />
3) Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water and then pour on top of the biscuit base. Spread with the back of a spoon and then return to the fridge to cool for another couple of hours. When cold, cut into bars. Makes 10 - 12 bars.<br />
<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13624194722106155800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6354414587807479764.post-91639765589601880342012-08-15T10:21:00.002+01:002022-02-11T21:44:51.829+00:00Double chocolate cake (0 colours)I've made quite a few different chocolate cakes in the past, but this is
by far the tastiest and has a lovely consistency too. I kept it in the
fridge because the chocolate topping would melt in our warm kitchen,
but the cake tastes equally good warm or cold.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiboXqmXnYgJif8Ew5vkGmYThRwi59B5FJBp5E703vneQ8fqjtNs5J41YzT1eOrHVTQPoUsGycXA97GvCMPiFF4_5uhUO-d5EaB2DChSpuPjpJFuquJCil9mf7zSCQXDzEs2QSk5GXEiXA/s1600/Cake_chocolate_double.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiboXqmXnYgJif8Ew5vkGmYThRwi59B5FJBp5E703vneQ8fqjtNs5J41YzT1eOrHVTQPoUsGycXA97GvCMPiFF4_5uhUO-d5EaB2DChSpuPjpJFuquJCil9mf7zSCQXDzEs2QSk5GXEiXA/s320/Cake_chocolate_double.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #5555ff;">Ingredients</span></b><br />
Golden caster sugar - 175 g<br />
Butter - 175 g<br />
Eggs - 3 <br />
Self-raising flour -140 g<br />
Baking powder - 0.5 tsp<br />
Ground almonds - 85 g<br />
Milk - 100 ml<br />
Cocoa powder - 4 tbsp<br />
Chocolate chips - 50 g<br />
6-8 pieces (total) of white and milk/dark chocolate for decorating<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #5555ff;">Methods</span></b><br />
1) Line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper. Cream the sugar and butter together in a large bowl. <br />
2) Whisk in the eggs, flour, baking powder, ground almonds, milk and cocoa powder until smooth.<br />
3) Stir in the choclate chips then pour into the loaf tin and cook at 160°C for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool for a few minutes before removing from the tin.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDr8DzBSqFmw8uq2TqRIg1mCDmz_iUxl1dF60b3qZ3bl46Ul-UMA-tkUesKFKN1UyGuMSDS5zWoNMMMG28CVhWd-05euRMQrtsstJf6AaM0XogRu6XaoM2o-txvf0Xwh6GZTV_wmomes/s1600/Cake_double_chocolate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDr8DzBSqFmw8uq2TqRIg1mCDmz_iUxl1dF60b3qZ3bl46Ul-UMA-tkUesKFKN1UyGuMSDS5zWoNMMMG28CVhWd-05euRMQrtsstJf6AaM0XogRu6XaoM2o-txvf0Xwh6GZTV_wmomes/s320/Cake_double_chocolate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
4) When the surface of the cake has cooled melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Drizzle over the cake with a spoon. Repeat with the milk or dark chocolate and then cool the cake in the fridge. Serves 8-10.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13624194722106155800noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6354414587807479764.post-46136458115552739812012-08-05T10:03:00.000+01:002022-02-11T21:55:56.572+00:00Blueberry and lime drizzle cake (2 colours)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpMKm_Y75iRStM1yehS7RRm4uMrm2yfDRxN7rPZJoQvlMyaiBnSFBhl4Lom0s4fTnIrDATHoaKNJNi1-8c7qzt-pJshmbRos2slD3w9pqZAWd4426l8liooiXURTG92gSnnJk4gxGFMg/s1600/Cake_blueberry_and_lime_drizzle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpMKm_Y75iRStM1yehS7RRm4uMrm2yfDRxN7rPZJoQvlMyaiBnSFBhl4Lom0s4fTnIrDATHoaKNJNi1-8c7qzt-pJshmbRos2slD3w9pqZAWd4426l8liooiXURTG92gSnnJk4gxGFMg/s320/Cake_blueberry_and_lime_drizzle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #5555ff;">Ingredients</span></b><br />
Butter - 225 g, softened<br />
Golden caster sugar - 225 g<br />
Eggs - 4<br />
Limes - 2, juice & grated zest<br />
Self raising flour - 250 g<br />
Ground almonds - 25 g<br />
Blueberries - 200 g<br />
<br />
<b>For the syrup:</b><br />
Lime juice - 8 tbsp<br />
Lime - 1, grated zest <br />
Golden caster sugar - 140 g<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #5555ff;">Methods</span></b><br />
1) Line an 8 inch square cake tin
with greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven
to 180°C.<br />
2) Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl. Gradually beat in the
eggs, adding a little flour towards the end to prevent curdling. Beat in
the zest of two limes, then fold in the flour and ground almonds. Stir in the juice of the two limes.<br />
3) Add three quarters of the blueberries to the bowl, stir gently and turn into
the prepared tin. Smooth the surface, then scatter the remaining fruit
on top - it will sink as the cake rises (I must remember to do this with my <a href="http://frog-end-food.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/blueberry-cake-with-cheesecake-frosting.html" target="_blank">blueberry cake</a> because the fruit usually sinks to the bottom).<br />
4) Bake for about 1 hour (cover with foil if beginning to brown too much),
or until a skewer comes out clean. <br />
5) Meanwhile make the syrup - add the lime juice, zest and sugar to a small
saucepan. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves. As soon as the cake comes out of the
oven, prick all over with a skewer then pour over the syrup. Leave to cool for a few minutes before removing from the tin. Cut into squares when cool. Serves 16.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13624194722106155800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6354414587807479764.post-12070113104730363432012-06-29T22:03:00.001+01:002013-03-23T19:29:32.406+00:00Blueberry, lemon and coconut traybake (2 colours)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUg1CsuQsUaUu4ao6SnRc3Z08tnqgJCp2tdYbBvdKLWuZHd_nuu0pUhal2BFkrlbjRodagQ4MMPHeniDBNdn3LQ1ZDVVoL1CBVptUztvj-NN8KNhWCQEzgLlduil5nvnGKfP3oWnijaA/s1600/Traybake_blueberry_lemon_and_coconut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUg1CsuQsUaUu4ao6SnRc3Z08tnqgJCp2tdYbBvdKLWuZHd_nuu0pUhal2BFkrlbjRodagQ4MMPHeniDBNdn3LQ1ZDVVoL1CBVptUztvj-NN8KNhWCQEzgLlduil5nvnGKfP3oWnijaA/s400/Traybake_blueberry_lemon_and_coconut.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #5555ff;">Ingredients</span></b><br />
Butter - 300 g<br />
Caster sugar - 400 g<br />
Lemon - grated zest of 1 <br />
Eggs - 6 <br />
Self-raising flour - 250 g<br />
Blueberries - 300 g<br />
Lemon curd - 200 g<br />
Dessicated coconut - 200 g<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #5555ff;">Methods</span></b><br />
1) Beat together 250g of the
butter with 250g of the sugar and the lemon zest.<br />
2) In a separate bowl beat four of the eggs, then gradually beat
into the butter and sugar mixture, adding a
spoonful of flour if it begins to curdle. Fold in the flour
and a third of the blueberries, then spoon into a 20 x 30 cm cake tin lined with greaseproof paper. My cake overflowed a little during the last five minutes so if your tin is shallow like mine make sure that the greaseproof paper reaches a little higher than the sides of the tin.<br />
3) Flatten the surface with a spatula,
sprinkle over another third of the blueberries,
and bake for 20 minutes at 180°C until the surface is set.<br />
4) Melt the rest of the
butter in a small pan. Stir in the coconut and remaining
sugar and eggs. Warm the
lemon curd gently for a few mins in a small
pan until it is runny and pourable (this was so easy I'll be doing it for my <a href="http://frog-end-food.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/lemon-drizzle-cake-2-colours.html">lemon drizzle cake</a> in future).<br />
5) Remove the cake from the oven. Scatter over the remaining
blueberries and then drizzle
over the lemon curd. Top with the
coconut mixture and bake for a further 20-25 mins
until the coconut is golden. Leave to cool and then cut into squares. Makes about 15 squares.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOsoNAzszEzdyWdu_3hdV3FoU4G5Yi7ZEdhQQ_NbH-AS3Vd5tZoP_AAqilXl9h59xeWocMJLHA8Kaq4odHDg0F2EJd_4sdax-_sLUTg1LTZKSZmkECXA8_RANS5l-n2L4o8ALavEvnu4I/s1600/Traybake_blueberry_lemon_and_coconut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOsoNAzszEzdyWdu_3hdV3FoU4G5Yi7ZEdhQQ_NbH-AS3Vd5tZoP_AAqilXl9h59xeWocMJLHA8Kaq4odHDg0F2EJd_4sdax-_sLUTg1LTZKSZmkECXA8_RANS5l-n2L4o8ALavEvnu4I/s320/Traybake_blueberry_lemon_and_coconut.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13624194722106155800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6354414587807479764.post-28953604331148877872011-06-30T08:42:00.002+01:002011-06-30T08:48:41.812+01:00Apple scone (1 colour)Continuing along the theme of family recipes, this one comes from the <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hamlyn-Colour-Cook-Book-Cookbook/dp/0600343340/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309420028&sr=8-1">Hamlyn All Colour Cookbook</a>. Although the book is rather outdated it contains the recipes for two of my favourite cakes - apple scone and <a href="http://frog-end-food.blogspot.com/2010/10/ginger-cake-1-colour.html">ginger cake</a>. When I was growing up we used to have apple scone every year at harvest-time.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtM2xxHU5_EPj0k6oEYOrqb5S_og3WP8fb1wzuA7_AgdZEiRi5qnd6tPVyOLpl5cOy7ut5HFxUd-2-W3va1cmn7aKYThCXyuXrpT96Xq2NARfje2UgreY96c8w8kGB8zSjRkB28rYCmM/s1600/Scone_apple.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtM2xxHU5_EPj0k6oEYOrqb5S_og3WP8fb1wzuA7_AgdZEiRi5qnd6tPVyOLpl5cOy7ut5HFxUd-2-W3va1cmn7aKYThCXyuXrpT96Xq2NARfje2UgreY96c8w8kGB8zSjRkB28rYCmM/s400/Scone_apple.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623916008472763506" /></a><br /><strong><span style="color:#5555ff;">Ingredients</span></strong><br />Baking apple - 1 medium<br />Self-raising flour - 225 g<br />Baking powder - 1 level tsp<br />Salt - 0.5 tsp<br />Castor sugar - 57 g<br />Butter - 57 g<br />Milk - 0.25 pints or less <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">For the glaze:</span><br />Demerara sugar - 20 g<br />Milk - for brushing<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#5555ff;">Methods</span></strong><br />1) Sieve the flour, salt and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Rub in the butter.<br />2) Peel, core and chop the apple finely. Add the castor sugar and apple to the bowl and mix well.<br />3) Add the milk, a little at a time, while mixing to form a soft dough. The dough shouldn't be sticky so don't add all the milk if you don't need to (I didn't).<br />4) Place the dough on a floured surface and roll into a circle about 1 cm thick. Transfer carefully to a greased baking sheet. Score into 8 triangles. Brush with the milk and sprinkle over the demerara.<br />5) Bake at 200°C for 20 minutes until golden brown. Cut into triangles and serve hot or cold with butter. Serves 8.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAde9U8-LytrQo0c-J8SgxX9GSMwWGTW2VWcobtYkE-1A7gqF41q9g1ry-z34pnQKREmOrBNoyFfmODp7h3lyCgI-PqvdIFXoMBVVGREs1VRT_50ZHt0oVWk0SP5Yrdp4m7olGJrDfQU/s1600/Scone_apple02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 396px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAde9U8-LytrQo0c-J8SgxX9GSMwWGTW2VWcobtYkE-1A7gqF41q9g1ry-z34pnQKREmOrBNoyFfmODp7h3lyCgI-PqvdIFXoMBVVGREs1VRT_50ZHt0oVWk0SP5Yrdp4m7olGJrDfQU/s400/Scone_apple02.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623916001503281570" /></a>Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13624194722106155800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6354414587807479764.post-79403427134015623772010-12-10T15:13:00.006+00:002022-02-11T21:48:17.156+00:00Fruit and nut Yule slice (2 colours)The first Christmassy cake I made this year was the <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4930/yule-slice">yule slice</a> from the BBC Good Food website. I added a couple of ingredients and changed the quantities a bit and it was lovely. It's also dairy free. <br /><br />There's a reason that it's sliced thinly in the photo on their website - this cake is deceptively filling because of all the nuts.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFvyRycQtKgA5MVFsFfp4VoA01-0PVgrxWKyiiEP_rkBqVYPTerSuumf5BEvFbHi0FqMcl1MkMY16vmDP7SsTyFMdJwzlpyzFwvFZJhUjQi_D1ifzTjWKTANaO_gzSsKgzCyzbDroulc/s1600/Fruit_nut_slice.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 311px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFvyRycQtKgA5MVFsFfp4VoA01-0PVgrxWKyiiEP_rkBqVYPTerSuumf5BEvFbHi0FqMcl1MkMY16vmDP7SsTyFMdJwzlpyzFwvFZJhUjQi_D1ifzTjWKTANaO_gzSsKgzCyzbDroulc/s400/Fruit_nut_slice.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549079364440865602" /></a><br /><strong><font color=#5555ff>Ingredients</font></strong><br />Nuts - 310 g (I used 150g walnuts, 100g hazelnuts, 60g blanched almonds)<br />Dried fruit - 680g (I used 200g dried apricots, 200g raisins, 100g stoned dates, 40g dried cranberries, 140g glace cherries, halved)<br />Plain flour - 100 g<br />Mixed spice - 2 tsp<br />Baking powder - 0.5 tsp<br />Dark muscovado sugar - 175 g<br />Eggs - 3<br />Vanilla extract - 1 tsp<br />Icing sugar for dusting<br /><br /><strong><font color=#5555ff>Methods</font></strong><br />1) Mix together the fruit and nuts in a large bowl.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8D6_UpD05PuplzuKkUfxZcc8M2S3-8NIsEXCVGyzaIMyVSMWciuzPbDnEPv0snISDaQxe7UPbcJ_wXEUW82dKRe5ByePRH6p2PGwsl2nk9dcEJiCn9kXvkgfsqx6YWonwRmwpyHGI-c/s1600/Fruit_nut_slice01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 395px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8D6_UpD05PuplzuKkUfxZcc8M2S3-8NIsEXCVGyzaIMyVSMWciuzPbDnEPv0snISDaQxe7UPbcJ_wXEUW82dKRe5ByePRH6p2PGwsl2nk9dcEJiCn9kXvkgfsqx6YWonwRmwpyHGI-c/s400/Fruit_nut_slice01.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549079371170519522" /></a><br />2) Sieve the flour, baking powder, sugar and mixed spice into the bowl and stir well.<br />3) Mix the eggs together with the vanilla essence in a bowl and add to the fruit and nut mixture. Stir until well combined and no dry ingredients are visible.<br />4) Line a loaf tin with grease-proof paper and pour in the mixture. Cover loosely with foil and bake at 150°C for 1.5 hours. Remove the foil and cook for a further 15 minutes. Leave to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the tin.<br />5) When cool, dust with icing sugar. Serves 16.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13624194722106155800noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6354414587807479764.post-35717774415352788412010-10-24T21:33:00.002+01:002022-02-11T21:55:03.033+00:00Blueberry cake with cheesecake frosting (1 colour)This easy-to-make cake looks beautiful and tastes absolutely delicious.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwhAPsDxHk3dwAUS_mvoM7LE_T0K0Td2AWq2qGin9SemVSkQ2QYmtmecvZyNKfviYZ7cx2oXzeW1puMg39d-VkrfJAawI1aITMiPxS5va3dlcClwZZuVPoHH92QdzZgzB1kJBvNxPb3k/s1600/Cake_blueberry_cheescake_frosting.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwhAPsDxHk3dwAUS_mvoM7LE_T0K0Td2AWq2qGin9SemVSkQ2QYmtmecvZyNKfviYZ7cx2oXzeW1puMg39d-VkrfJAawI1aITMiPxS5va3dlcClwZZuVPoHH92QdzZgzB1kJBvNxPb3k/s400/Cake_blueberry_cheescake_frosting.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531715528101782338" /></a><br /><strong><font color=#5555ff>Ingredients</font></strong><br />Self-raising flour - 225 g<br />Baking powder - 1 tsp<br />Golden caster sugar - 175 g<br />Butter - 175 g, warmed to room temperature<br />Vanilla essence - 2 tsp<br />Eggs - 3 large<br />Soured Cream - 4 tbsp<br />Fresh or frozen (defrosted) blueberries - 190 g<br /><br />For the frosting:<br />Cream cheese (philadelphia) - 200 g<br />Soured cream - 1 dessert spoon<br />Icing sugar - 100g<br />Fresh blueberries - 150 g<br /><br /><strong><font color=#5555ff>Methods</font></strong><br />1) Sieve the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add the butter and beat for a couple of minutes. Add the vanilla essence and eggs and mix well. <br />2) Beat in the soured cream and then gently stir in the blueberries.<br />3) Pour the mixture into a round 22cm loose-bottomed cake tin, spread it level and bake at 180°C for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool the cake for a few minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack.<br />4) When the cake has cooled completely, mix together the cream cheese, soured cream and icing sugar in a bowl. Spread on top of the cake and scatter the blueberries on top. Keep the cake in the fridge, but remove an hour before serving. Serves 8.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13624194722106155800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6354414587807479764.post-476116109443176652010-10-02T16:26:00.000+01:002022-02-11T21:55:47.449+00:00Ginger cake (1 colour)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvhhH0p369hIQz39TuwDOra4ex2vdOZVEa7to093YrTW-2x0U8fOiO7IbiBABc_8SwWpa_eRAbuG6di-r4rXh43nY15p5K-0zaYSYg3jfbtXCuiKDJc1hLBHK8OOVFi4Wo03wyOZ4OBQ/s1600/Cake_ginger.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvhhH0p369hIQz39TuwDOra4ex2vdOZVEa7to093YrTW-2x0U8fOiO7IbiBABc_8SwWpa_eRAbuG6di-r4rXh43nY15p5K-0zaYSYg3jfbtXCuiKDJc1hLBHK8OOVFi4Wo03wyOZ4OBQ/s400/Cake_ginger.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523468764345277570" /></a><br />This is an old family favourite and I can't remember ever having a Christmas without it.<br /><br /><strong><font color=#5555ff>Ingredients</font></strong><br />Golden syrup - 55 g<br />Black treacle - 170 g<br />Margarine - 115 g<br />Brown sugar - 55 g<br />Milk - 140 ml<br />Eggs - 2, beaten<br />Plain flour - 225 g<br />Bicarbonate of soda - 1 level tsp<br />Ground ginger - 2 level tsp<br />Mixed spice - 1 rounded tsp<br />Sultanas - 115 g<br /><br /><strong><font color=#5555ff>Methods</font></strong><br />1) Heat the treacle, syrup, margarine and sugar in a small pan until the sugar and margarine have dissolved. Add the milk and leave to cool for a few minutes.<br />2) Meanwhile, sift the flour, ginger, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. <br />3) Add the eggs to the cooled treacle mixture and stir well. Pour into the bowl containing the dry ingredients and fold in the sultanas, mixing until everything is well combined. Bake in a greased tin for 1.25 - 1.5 hours at 150°C until a skewer comes out clean. Serves 12.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Lhy0ZUcLIlDRikHJ31Ykv5MvZBRPK-gwG6F8JypP7veIuSEMBH311cerA0zDbWx6RR59u31mGU1k7wFkRJl0iIqM7f2Xyk53WCtdY4r5jZH1rviSF9wc8vW-oNS-4iM8RQN2MbiZ21E/s1600/Cake_ginger02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Lhy0ZUcLIlDRikHJ31Ykv5MvZBRPK-gwG6F8JypP7veIuSEMBH311cerA0zDbWx6RR59u31mGU1k7wFkRJl0iIqM7f2Xyk53WCtdY4r5jZH1rviSF9wc8vW-oNS-4iM8RQN2MbiZ21E/s400/Cake_ginger02.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523468772876274610" /></a>Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13624194722106155800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6354414587807479764.post-78685709070519580262010-09-04T19:11:00.002+01:002022-02-11T21:45:41.015+00:00Orange and cranberry muffins (2 colours)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnpW19KdZVc2oMQ_neY3oSHKLIaU8qtMm7lkUSRAppb5rVB18smyhalbQSIKnm5xwPUWpmgNujFgtOUM8Zj1sCNanzlfZIk4RXrLiG1YPm8v6qonBuooKAXfFMsXwrKPOg_FAVsaNQpQM/s1600/Muffin_cranberry_orange01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 317px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnpW19KdZVc2oMQ_neY3oSHKLIaU8qtMm7lkUSRAppb5rVB18smyhalbQSIKnm5xwPUWpmgNujFgtOUM8Zj1sCNanzlfZIk4RXrLiG1YPm8v6qonBuooKAXfFMsXwrKPOg_FAVsaNQpQM/s400/Muffin_cranberry_orange01.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513125418696221378" /></a><br />I've finally got round to buying a muffin tin - something I've been meaning to do for several weeks. There are so many muffins I'm looking forward to making - <a href="http://www.ecurry.com/blog/desserts/blueberry-lime-muffins/">blueberry and lime</a>, <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/08/perfect-blueberry-muffins/">blueberry</a>, <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/05/a-new-muffin-in-town/">lemon and raspberry</a>, <a href="http://www.muffinrecipes.co.uk/page14.html">raspberry and nectarine</a>...<br /><br />Thanks to Mark at <a href="http://greenwoodma.servehttp.com/cookbook/">cookbook</a> for this recipe. I used frozen cranberries (defrosted) for this as we can't buy fresh ones at any time of year other than Christmas. The recipe actually makes about 15 muffins (the holes in my tin are 7cm wide by 4cm deep), so I poured the excess mixture into a small pyrex dish to make one large muffin:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWP1PR1Vxv3_TjgrqYZHaeaIqPHeO1n_M2g-Aqcyodf9WKSzr_XwApxYqcGAtSZbWsIBZ3r3u2mhiNaRq2Poc4BvaaVmIXgOZftvlGwx4LydwYGRMmMTBC7kU1_470FhJiWaPcYJxJu18/s1600/Muffin_cranberry_orange02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWP1PR1Vxv3_TjgrqYZHaeaIqPHeO1n_M2g-Aqcyodf9WKSzr_XwApxYqcGAtSZbWsIBZ3r3u2mhiNaRq2Poc4BvaaVmIXgOZftvlGwx4LydwYGRMmMTBC7kU1_470FhJiWaPcYJxJu18/s400/Muffin_cranberry_orange02.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513125419653533250" /></a><br /><strong><font color=#5555ff>Ingredients</font></strong><br />Cranberries - 140 g<br />Orange juice - 175 ml<br />Unsalted butter - 170 g, warmed to room temperature<br />Granulated sugar - 170 g<br />finely grated rind of 1.5 oranges<br />Eggs - 3 large<br />Plain flour - 300 g<br />Salt - pinch <br />Baking powder - 3 tsp <br />Milk - 175 ml<br /><br /><strong><font color=#5555ff>Methods</font></strong><br />1) Place the cranberries in a small pan with the orange juice and heat gently until the juice just starts to simmer. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.<br />2) Cream the butter with the sugar and grated orange rind. Beat the eggs into the butter. Sieve the plain flour, salt and baking powder and fold in to the mixture along with the milk. Fold in the cooled cranberries and orange juice to form a batter.<br />3) Grease a 12 cup muffin pan. Divide the batter into 12 cups and bake in the oven at 190°C for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serves 12.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13624194722106155800noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6354414587807479764.post-69655248392119745622010-08-07T23:30:00.015+01:002022-02-11T21:54:41.011+00:00Pear and walnut cake (1 colour)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6Aaxny8Q646Npznmv_Os5Yge8CkZ3hbl_fCcxPnhN9194AWp9h3rBf9zuW_gYTaTTGtc_8WjaWIjXMQsAEf8yf043c-bfmtZHyLJ7CllbTQ7K-u3YYJ_Fdxpg5ZzoTnu6iEiKyCBiDI/s1600/Cake_pear_walnut01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6Aaxny8Q646Npznmv_Os5Yge8CkZ3hbl_fCcxPnhN9194AWp9h3rBf9zuW_gYTaTTGtc_8WjaWIjXMQsAEf8yf043c-bfmtZHyLJ7CllbTQ7K-u3YYJ_Fdxpg5ZzoTnu6iEiKyCBiDI/s400/Cake_pear_walnut01.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503494664545201458" /></a><br />I made this with freshly bought pears, but next time I shall leave them to ripen for a day or two.<br /><br /><strong><font color=#5555ff>Ingredients</font></strong><br />Plain flour - 250 g<br />Caster sugar - 180 g<br />Baking powder - 2 tsp<br />Pears - 3 ripened, peeled and coarsely chopped<br />Walnut pieces - 80 g<br />Eggs - 2, beaten<br />Milk - 100 ml<br />Butter - 125 g<br /><br /><strong><font color=#5555ff>Methods</font></strong><br />1) Melt the butter in a pan and leave to cool. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and grease a 9 inch round baking tin.<br />2) Sift the flour, sugar and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Add the pear and walnut pieces and mix well. <br />3) Place the milk and eggs together in a small bowl and whisk for a couple of minutes.<br />4) Add the milk and egg mixture together with the butter to the mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly.<br />5) Pour into the baking tin and cook for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Serves 6-8.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKdhcSZW43G1ge9wDq_J7s85SsOJS8sxAH1S4lF1StS_up2VXJCmzsk9ZpwDscTQcz_358SjfKvktSWJaEIu9rwTMKnsBZDhiUrq8c5vBcXgQbqoGFwLwDQ73Rqh3ibGhLx98R6r5eH0/s1600/Cake_pear_walnut.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 296px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKdhcSZW43G1ge9wDq_J7s85SsOJS8sxAH1S4lF1StS_up2VXJCmzsk9ZpwDscTQcz_358SjfKvktSWJaEIu9rwTMKnsBZDhiUrq8c5vBcXgQbqoGFwLwDQ73Rqh3ibGhLx98R6r5eH0/s400/Cake_pear_walnut.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503494655542751906" /></a>Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13624194722106155800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6354414587807479764.post-75397295384167226992010-02-18T11:06:00.016+00:002022-02-11T21:54:50.719+00:00Chocolate orange and almond cake (1 colour)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ms7gg1dHQntnSRb-_0CAbV5POmc6AIM9utRjFFza7ckaQBTSC7mduTPYbbGk8wsXweyckLgYwyHXCzvxspsIvey3nud5kSnWpPMkvt7OT70E9fuSde58w9iYd1JhM4A7irMl-Ysk5Go/s1600-h/Chocolate_orange_almond_cake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ms7gg1dHQntnSRb-_0CAbV5POmc6AIM9utRjFFza7ckaQBTSC7mduTPYbbGk8wsXweyckLgYwyHXCzvxspsIvey3nud5kSnWpPMkvt7OT70E9fuSde58w9iYd1JhM4A7irMl-Ysk5Go/s400/Chocolate_orange_almond_cake.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439547668840138530" /></a><br />I've made this cake twice now. The first time we had no electric mixer so I stirred it as much as I could by hand. It came our rather flat and we ended up cutting it into brownie shaped pieces. Last night I mixed it in our new food processor and it came out much more 'cake-like'. Both were delicious.<br /><br />I haven't got the hang of juicing and grating the rind of the same orange yet. Last time I juiced it first and then found it difficult to hold it to grate the rind. Last night I grated it first, but when I came to juice it the orange just fell apart. All suggestions welcome!<br /><br /><strong><font color=#5555ff>Ingredients</font></strong><br />Orange - 1, juiced and rind finely grated<br />Raisins - 100g<br />Blanched almonds - 55g<br />Dark/plain chocolate (at least 50% cocoa solids) - 100g, broken up<br />Butter - 175g, chopped into pieces<br />Eggs - 4 large, beaten<br />Caster sugar - 100g<br />Vanilla essence - 1 tsp<br />Ground almonds - 55g<br />Plain flour - 55g<br />Baking powder - 1/2 tsp<br /><br /><strong><font color=#5555ff>Methods</font></strong><br />1) Soak the raisins in the orange juice in a small bowl for 20 minutes. <br />2) Melt the butter and chocolate together in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Leave to cool.<br />3) Meanwhile, chop and lightly toast the blanched almonds in a frying pan, taking care not to burn.<br />4) Preheat the oven to 180°C. Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla essence together in an electric mixer for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.<br />5) Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture.<br />6) Sift the flour, ground almonds and baking powder into a large bowl. Fold in the egg, sugar and chocolate mixture. Drain the raisins of any remaining orange juice and add to the mixture with the orange rind and chopped almonds. Stir well. <br />7) Spoon into a greased 8 inch round cake tin (the recipe says 10 inch, but I found it turned out a bit too thin) and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.<br />8) Dust with icing sugar and serve with a couple of strawberries on the side. Serves 6-8.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYpsujKgWO6X8atSLMRuozH07mQNR7GTGepvbEGYMd3YGKMYJKM6n-Hy7L1WES8Efa7JCY0E05IjFJPbfdCpR6H5DiHY84OFIY6EIcLXEUyAM2hFkPxeR14ulpkBNoA6A1Oqjau9XDgw/s1600-h/Chocolate_orange_almond_cake2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 359px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYpsujKgWO6X8atSLMRuozH07mQNR7GTGepvbEGYMd3YGKMYJKM6n-Hy7L1WES8Efa7JCY0E05IjFJPbfdCpR6H5DiHY84OFIY6EIcLXEUyAM2hFkPxeR14ulpkBNoA6A1Oqjau9XDgw/s400/Chocolate_orange_almond_cake2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439547671832862722" /></a>Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13624194722106155800noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6354414587807479764.post-54347542769180414522009-10-16T17:59:00.000+01:002009-10-16T18:15:39.946+01:00The 7 colours of healthI bought a book entitled "What color is your diet?" several months ago and though I've yet to read it from cover to cover have dipped into it countless times and read and reread a few of the key sections. The book, written by the director of the UCLA center for human nutrition, contains lots of useful information on the properties of foods and how they impact the body. It explains the major differences in diets across the world and how these influence the incidence of cancer, heart disease and other health problems.<br /><br />The book suggests that to stay healthy and reduce the risk of cancer etc we should eat not 5, but at least 7 portions of fruit and veg each day. It presents 7 colour categories and provides a list of fruit and veg that fall into each category. Each colour is important for a different reason and the book recommends that we eat at least one item of each colour every day. <br /><br />At present I do not eat the 7 colours or even 7 portions of fruit and veg each day, but I do consider this to be my goal. Even ignoring the possible health benefits it will make for a varied and interesting diet and encourage me to grow some more unusual fruit and vegetables in the garden and on our land when we get some.<br /><br />I shall blog the 7 colours, why each is good for you and a list of foods of each colour over the next couple of weeks. I shall also state in brackets how many colours each recipe I post contains.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13624194722106155800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6354414587807479764.post-88349847173908902202009-10-08T14:22:00.000+01:002009-10-08T14:54:30.988+01:00Another new blogUntil leaving my job at the University I've always considered myself too busy to play around with cooking and if asked I would say that I "couldn't cook properly" whatever that means.<br /><br />I guess I've had a difficult relationship with food so far. As a child I was the awkward one who wouldn't eat anything. As an adult that changed a little, but I think it's only in the last three or four years that I've realised that I'm not awkward - I just don't really like eating and hate preparing meat. If meat couldn't be bought in non-animal shapes in tins or cardboard boxes in the freezer section of the supermarket I would have turned vegetarian years ago.<br /><br />As it is I'm not currently vegetarian, but I eat meat probably at most once every couple of weeks. I don't know if I will become fully vegetarian and if I do what time scale that will be on - we will just have to wait and see. I'm creating this blog as a journey on the way to being healthier and more inventive with food, and in addition to posting recipes will be writing my thoughts on food in general, particularly 'new foods' that I've only just tried or starting cooking.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13624194722106155800noreply@blogger.com1