Madeleines - Chocolate & Lime

Never read Proust, but I love making Madeleines, the little French sponge cakes.

This is my version of the recipe I found on line

I used only half the mixture to make approximately  a dozen of them.  If you do not have a Madeleine tin with the pretty shell pattern you can you a jam tart tin, these are shallower than a muffin tin, but alas you will not get the shell pattern but be assured madeleines taste just as nice!

Chocolate & Lime Madeleines

1 Egg

1 teaspoon of grated Lime zest

1 teaspoon of fresh Lime juice 

62grms (2.5 ozs) Icing Sugar

40grms (1.5ozs) Self Raising Flour (all purpose)

10grms (0.5ozs) Cocoa Powder

62grms (2.5 ozs) Butter

Preheat oven 190 degrees C Gas 5

Grease the madeleine tin.  

(Tip :: grease all over the tin so when the cake mixture rises slightly over the edge of the tin the little cakes will not stick and break when being removed from the moulds)

Melt the butter and set aside to cool

Sift the Flour and Cocoa Powder two or three times.

Beat the egg, lime juice and zest together for about 5 minutes, then beat in the icing sugar for about another 10 minutes.  Fold in the flour and cocoa powder carefully then fold in the melted butter.

Spoon the batter into the prepared moulds and bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

When cooked gently loosen with a knife and place on a cooling rack and sprinkle with icing sugar.

Store in an airtight container.

(Tip :: with the leftover Lime juice and zest, put in to the freezer for another recipe)

Stuffed Mushrooms - 2

Another Stuffed Mushroom recipe

Four very large mushrooms, preferably not flat ones.

Carefully oil the base of the mushrooms, I find it easier just using my fingers and place on a baking tray.

I a pan gently soften an onion.  When soften add a tin of chopped tomatoes.

Add handful of breadcrumbs to thicken the mixture, I always keep some in the freezer.  

Fill the mushrooms

Add grated cheese

Bake till golden brown and bubbling

Almond Cake

(Click on recipe to enlarge)

I substituted almond essence for a desert spoon water and I used butter in the topping, and used Bertolli margerine to make the cake and added a few glace cherries. 

The recipe is from The Stork Wartime Cookery Book

I am selling a PDF copy of this book here

Garlic Bread Crutons

Take half of a bought garlic bread, cube and place on a baking tray and bake as per the instructions.

When cooked, sprinkle on soup.

This is Brussel Sprout Soup - recipe can be found here.

I used milk instead of single cream

Cooking Blind

When cooking blind put the dried peas, rice, or the proper cooking blind beans in a cake liner.  

It makes it easier to lift out after the cooking.  Leave then to cool for re-use in the liner.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Take three or four large flat mushrooms.  Wash and dry with kitchen towel and place on a baking tray.  Fill with whatever you have.  These one are filled with two rashers of bacon, and some brie topped with leftover mash potatoes and a little grated cheese and freshly milled black pepper (between the three mushrooms).  Dribble with a little Olive oil. Cook at 180 degrees until cooked and the cheese has melted.

Swirly Marble Cake

Follow this recipe but use two eggs.  When the cake mix is ready divide into two cake tins just like the picture above.

repeat above but when you weigh the flour take out a table spoon of flour and replace with a table spoon of Cocoa,  do not use drinking chocolate.  Then divide the chocolate mix as above.

Then gently mix together.

Cook

sandwich together with your favourite jam or butter cream

Mmmmmmmmmmm!  3/10 for the mixing could do better!  But it tasted lovely and our friends enjoyed it too! 

Potatoes, Bacon and Brie!

My version of this recipe

Potatoes

Thick pieces of Bacon (I used cooking bacon from Morrisons)

 Onion - sliced (I prefer red onions, the choice is yours)

Brie (I used half of the triangle that is normally bought)

Olive Oil for cooking only

(You can use ordinary cooking oil, but I would drain the onion and bacon first)

Ground Pepper - optional

Butter

Gently soften the sliced onion with the chunks of bacon in a little olive oil.   Whilst they are cooking. butter a shallow dish and then thinly slice a potatoes (5mm or less if you can) and lay into the bottom of the dish.  When the onions* have soften add them and the bacon to the potatoes.  

Chop the brie and lay on top.  Don't overwhelm with the cheese.

Thinly slice more potato and cover the layer of onion, bacon and brie and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper, and a few small pieces of butter.

Slowly cook on 180 degrees (Gas 3) until the potatoes are cooked.

Serve while still piping hot with salad and cranberry sauce - optional

*Always cook onions first otherwise they will always taste and feel raw

The salad was reasonably priced too!

Cake & Cookies

Fruit Cake

Weigh three eggs.  

Weigh the same weight butter, light brown sugar, flour. 

2 teaspoons mixed spice 

1 desert spoon water.

12ozs dried fruit 

Cream together the sugar and butter until pale in colour.  

Beat in the eggs one at a time and add the water and beat.

Cover the fruit with two spoons flour and mix together.

Add the rest of flour to mixture and fold in carefully, 

then add the fruit and also fold in carefully.

Pour mixture into a prepared cake tin and cook 180 degrees 

for about 35 minutes, check cake is cooked, if not keep checking every few minutes

Peanut Butter Cookies

(Makes about 10)

3ozs flour

3/4oz Sugar

2 tablespoons Peanut Butter

1 egg

2oz Butter

1oz Peanuts (optional use if using smooth peanut butter)

Put all the ingredients in bowl and cream together.

Roll mixture into little balls and place on a prepared baking tray and press with fingers to flatten out.

Cook 180 degrees for 10 minutes.  Leave on tray until cold.

Breadcrumbs and a Lunchtime Snack

I like to keep breadcrumbs in the freezer.  I find French Stick makes the best breadcrumbs.  You don't have to defrost them before using them, so they can be used straight from the the freezer.  I use them for toppings and coating chicken.

4 x Chicken Portions or
Pack of Chicken Pieces for making curries etc
Italian Herbs
1 or 2 Eggs
Flour
Bread Crumbs
Cooking Oil

3 Bowls

Bowl one - Break 2 eggs and whisk, add extra one if needed
Bowl two - Breadcrumbs and Italian Herbs mixed together
Bowl three - Flour

Dip the chicken in eggs,

cover in flour the shake off excess,

dip the chicken back into the eggs,

cover in the bread crumbs

Gently heat a little oil in a frying pan,

fry just browning the breadcrumbs,

put the chicken on a baking tray

Put chicken pieces into a hot oven to cook
for about twenty minutes

200 degrees, gas 6 till cooked through,

MAKE sure the chicken is thoroughly cooked. 

This can be prepared to putting on baking tray prior to putting in the oven and cooked later

Bottom bag, three Batons - 9p each. top bag French stick with Sesame Seeds 15p. 

End of the day at Morrisons 

Poppy seed roll

Wheat Roll

both these rolls were from Morrisons from a mixed pack of Dinner Rolls also 9p, we had the other two for lunch.

Lunchtime Snack

Shepherds Pie, Cottage Pie No just a packet of prepared veg (Morrisons 20p)  Couple of tablespoons water unless you have left-over stock or gravy.  Top with mash potato. 

Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and finely grated cheese.

Ginger Biscuit anybody............?

Phone rings "hey mum we are 50 minutes away" (he told us the location so we knew Robert and Anneka would arrive in less than an hour) OK..........you have just mixed this recipe ready to roll out and make Gingerbread Men.  I took dessert-spoonfuls of the mixture and dolloped on to a prepared tray.  I use one of those cooking sheets that doesn't have be be greased very handy if you are making biscuits, then you wash it, dry it and roll it up and store away for next time!

Just put a few dollops on the tray and cook to the recipe, leave a good space between each dollop and don't overcook them they burn very quickly because of the sugar content.

and ginger biscuit anyone.................?

Do you remember this post last year - Robert and Anneka have returned back to England last week, they extended their six month sabbatical to nearly a year, now they are just saying hello to various friends and relatives, then I will see them again over Christmas on the proper days!

Apple & Raisin with Cinnamon Bread and Butter Pudding

Thought you might like to share my version of the old fashion Bread and Butter Pudding.

I don't usually measure anything for this recipe, only the liquid.

Make it either day before or at least half hour before you would like to cook it.  I make it in the morning for evening meal.

Slices of day old bread I prefer to use white bread for this recipe)

Cooking or Eating Apples (one apple per layer)

Few Raisins

4x Eggs

Milk

3ozs Sugar

Butter

Scant quarter teaspoon Cinnamon

Butter the bread, and cut the crusts off.  Layer the base of the oven-dish with bread.  Peel and slice one apple and scatter a few raisins onto the bread.  Repeat this for a least two more layers saving a couple slices of bread for the top.

Break the eggs into a pint measuring jug add the sugar, and cinnamon whisk, then top up with milk to measuring one pint of liquid and whisk again.  

Pour over the bread and let it soak into bread before cooking

Cook about 45minutes on 170 centigrade - gas 3

What to do with the crusts............?  Freeze them until you are ready to make this!

Scotch Eggs, Sausage Rolls and Lemon Tart

I took it into my head to make Scotch Eggs!

I used one packet of Lincolnshire Sausages, 4x Eggs and some bread crumbs.  

(every so often I buy French Stick keep it for a day and hope no-one eats it! then make bread crumbs and keep them in freezer, just taking out what I need use as an when)

Soft boil the eggs for about three minutes, plunge into cold water.  When cold carefully remove the shells. Set to one side for the moment.

Take the skins off the sausages and try and lay each sausage carefully on a plate separately.  

Have a bowl of cold water handy this is to dip you hands in whilst covering the eggs in sausage meat.  It stops the meat sticking to your hands. 

Flatten out one the sausages (meat) into the palm of your hand and carefully place an egg on the meat and then carefully arrange the sausage meat around the egg adding another sausage to cover the rest of the egg then roll in the bread crumbs and place on the a roasting tin. 

No need to pre grease the roasting tin - they didn't stick on my black enamel roasting tin  

Bake in the oven 180 degrees gas 4 for about 35 minutes 

I always buy puff pastry and freeze it if you have and left over sausage meat make Sausage Rolls

GREAT PICNIC FOOD!

Lemon Tart

This is from the Wartime Stork Recipe book

If anybody would like a facsimile of the book I will be quite happy to send it!

Left over cold cooked new potatoes

Left-over cooked New Potatoes

Slice them not too thin leaving the skins on. 

Gently fry in a little oil until golden brown and drain on kitchen paper

Serve and enjoy!

CAKE!

Depending how deep you would like your cake and what sort or mixer you use. I have both a Kenwood (larger bowl) and a hand mixer (smaller bowl). If using the Kenwood I use three eggs and if using the hand mixer two eggs. My Kenwood dosen't seem to like to mix just a small amount of cake mix. There is nothing to stop to you make cake with three eggs and a hand mixer the choice is yours!

Pre heat the oven at 170 degrees fahrenheit, 325 degrees centigrade, gas 3

Accurately weigh the eggs in their shells, then to the same weight, weigh soften Butter, Sugar and Self Raising Flour

Beat the soften Butter and Sugar till very pale. Add the eggs one at a time and beat into mixture. I NOW add a desert spoonful of water and beat in at this point too as I find electric ovens dry out the mixture.

My mixture always curdles without fail, but I don't worry about it anymore! Sift the Flour, it doesn't matter whether the flour is the cheapest or the dearest I always sieve it! Then fold gently into the mixture.

YES! I cheat I buy the large cake cases. They are meant for large fruit cakes but I find they work well for my cakes! I always weigh the mixture as I am putting the mixture into the prepared tins to make sure I get equal in both tins.

After about 25 to 30 minutes check to see of the cakes are cooked. I can never get it right with my fingers I always use a skewer or a metal knitting needle!

Look closely you will see the cake mix has risen above the tin

When the cakes are cold fill with favourite filling

ENJOY!