Sunny Strawberry Jam

Last week we had glorious sunshine and warm weather and I was able to spend a very enjoyable morning picking strawberries in a pick-your-own farm not too far from where I live. The strawberries tasted wonderful, so sweet and a vibrant red colour all the way through. The smell that surrounds you as you crouch down amongst the rows of plants, lifting the leaves in the hunt of the ripe red berries, is amazing. I was having such a good time that I got a bit carried away and picked rather more than is physically possible for me, or indeed my family, to eat fresh. My mum has always talked about wanting to try making homemade strawberry jam and as we had such an abundance of fresh tasty strawberries, turning them into jam seemed the ideal solution.

In order for jam to set, you need pectin, which is naturally occurring in all fruits, although in different quantities. Unfortunately strawberries only contain small amounts of pectin, meaning it won’t set into a firm spreadable jam on its own. Thanks to the cleverness of science you can now buy preserving sugar which is sugar with added fruit pectin, specially made for jam making. Some shops are also now starting to sell little sachets of powdered pectin, which can be used with normal sugar to help a jam gel/set. Lemons also naturally contain high amounts of pectin so adding the juice of one of those will also help.

For the strawberry jam I used a pectin sachet with normal sugar and it did help the liquid produce more of a gel, although the overall jam was still softly set. However, as I have said in the past, this is how I prefer my jam so I was more than happy with the results. The jam turned out a deep glossy red colour and had a fantastic fresh strawberry aroma that wafted up the minute I unscrewed the lid. The strawberries retained their cut shape, although were tender enough to squish into a fruity puree when spread across some bread or toast.
If you are wanting to make your own jams using fruit that’s low in pectin then it’s best to try and combine it with a fruit that’s high in pectin. This is why you might often see blackberry and apple jam, for not only do they taste good together but the high pectin apple helps set and low pectin blackberries.
Fruits which are naturally high in pectin include:
Lemons, cooking apples, blackcurrants, redcurrants, gooseberries, quinces, limes, grapefruits, oranges, some plums

Fruits which are low in pectin include:
Blackberries, cherries, strawberries, pears, rhubarb, figs

Sunny Strawberry Jam
Ingredients
1kg fresh strawberries
1kg preserving sugar (with added pectin)
OR 1kg granulated sugar and 1 sachet pectin
1 lemon

Method
Destalk the strawberries and cut them into halves or quarters depending on their size.
Place into a large saucepan with the juice from the lemon. Heat until simmering and the fruit has started to soften and release its juices, about 15 minutes.
Add the preserving sugar or sugar and pectin, stirring until dissolved.
Allow to boil for 20 minutes, stirring every so often to prevent the fruit from catching on the bottom of the pan.
Meanwhile, place 5 clean dry jam jars and their lids into a cold oven. Heat to 120C and then allow them to heat for at least 10 minutes to sterilise them before using.
Test if the jam is ready by placing a small spoonful of the jam onto a saucer and placing in the fridge for 3 minutes. Once cool, run your finger through the jam and if it ripples and leaves a clear path, then it is ready. If not, then allow to boil for a further 5 minutes before testing again.
Once ready, remove the jam from the heat and the jars from the oven. Carefully ladle the hot jam into the hot jars and screw on the lids tightly. Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the heat and to give you a good grip.
Allow to cool at room temperature before storing in a cool dark place until required. The seal button in the lids will suddenly pop back down as the jam cools, as a sterile vacuum is created within the jar. They will give a loud ‘pop’ when this happens, so don’t be alarmed.
Once open, store in the fridge.
Makes 4 – 5 jars

Wholemeal Basket Bread

I woke up on Saturday with a craving for some freshly baked bread. The desire was so strong that by 7:30am I had a batch of wholemeal bread proving in the morning sunshine. You can buy good quality bread from bakeries these days but there is something so unique and enjoyable about making your own. I think it is to do with how the bread physically grows in size before your eyes and gives off different aromas during each stage that increases the anticipation of eating it and makes it taste so good once you get your reward of that first, still warm, slice.

This bread dough starts off very wet and sticky, but the more you knead it, adding just a little extra flour, it will become a soft workable dough. I have always wanted to try making bread in one of those traditional bread proving baskets, but as I don’t have one I decided to improvise with a wooden bread basket and a well floured tea towel. I’m delighted to say it worked well and produced a lovely humped shape and rustic flour dusted loaf. A few quick slashes across the top and it was ready for the oven.

Preheating the baking tray ensured a crisp and golden brown base, while a few sprits of water in the oven created a little steam which helped give the bread a thick crisp crust. As the bread baked, the aroma of hot toasting wheat was wonderful. It permeated through the whole kitchen, making my mouth water. I wandered around impatiently waiting for it to cool before cutting my first slice and eating it, no butter required. Wheaty with a moist crumb and a crisp chewy crust, delicious, and just in time for lunch.

Wholemeal Basket Bread
Ingredients
500g wholemeal flour, plus extra for kneading and dusting
450ml warm water
5g dried yeast
6g salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method
Place the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Mix together the oil and water and pour over the flour. Shape your fingers into a claw shape and use to swirl around the ingredients to bring the mixture to a wet and sticky dough.
Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes, it will be very sticky but it will naturally become less wet as you knead it, so keep working with it. After 5 minutes, add another 50g-ish of flour to bring it to a workable dough.
Form the dough into a ball and place in large greased bowl. Cover with cling film and leave to rise for 2hrs in a warm place.
Once doubled in size, knock back the dough and reform it into a ball. Rub a tea towel with a generous amount of rye or wholemeal flour and use it to line a medium sized mixing bowl or wooden bread basket.
Place the dough ball on top of the floured tea towel and gently fold the sides over the top of the dough. Leave to rise again for another 90 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 240C and place a sturdy baking tray in the oven to get hot.
Once the dough has risen, carefully invert it out onto the hot baking tray (it should come away from the floured tea towel easily). Slash the top of the bread gently with a bread knife and spay the top with water. Place the bread into the oven and quickly spray in a mist of water before quickly shutting the door. (This helps create steam which gives the bread a thick and crispy crust).
Bake for 10 minutes before decreasing the temperature to 200C and baking for a further 30 minutes.
Test the bread is sufficiently baked by tapping the base with your knuckles. It should be crisp and sound hollow. If it sounds muffled, give it 3-5 minutes longer and try again. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool to room temperature before slicing.

Rhubarb Ripple Bundt Cake

My grandmother grows rhubarb in the garden and a few weeks ago she kindly gave me the last of her crop. I wanted to bake something with it and while I was thinking what to make I suddenly remembered I had a brand new bundt tin that I hadn’t even used since I bought it several weeks ago – how did that happen? So I knew it was going to have to be a rhubarb bundt cake. If you don’t have a bundt tine, I’m sure a deep cake tin would work just as well.

I decided to roast the rhubarb before rippling some through the cake batter and adding the rest as a fruity middle layer within the cake. The cake batter contains a lot of yoghurt which gives it a wonderfully smooth and creamy texture and helps keep it moist and tender. I also added a little glace ginger into the mix and then doused the baked cake with a fresh ginger syrup. This helped give the cake a lovely sheen and a subtle ginger flavour.

Rhubarb Ripple Bundt Cake
Ingredients
700g rhubarb
175g caster sugar
200g butter
2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
375g self raising flour
260g natural yogurt
½ tsp baking powder
20g glace ginger, from a jar

For the syrup
45g caster sugar
50ml water
25ml ginger syrup from the glace ginger jar
20g fresh ginger, sliced

Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Trim and slice the rhubarb into 2cm slices and toss through 55g of the caster sugar. Place in a single layer in a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes until tender. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Place the butter, remaining sugar and vanilla in a bowl and cream together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, don’t worry if it looks slightly curdled.
Finely chop the ginger and add to the mix along with the flour, baking powder and yogurt. Beat until well combined and silky.
Stir two-thirds of the baked sliced rhubarb through the cake batter and lightly crush the remaining rhubarb until soft but not smooth.
Spoon half of the cake batter into a 23cm bundt tin or 20cm deep round cake tin. Spread the remaining crushed rhubarb over the surface and top with the last half of the cake batter.
Smooth the top and bake in the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes, cover quickly with foil after the first 40 minutes to prevent from over browning.
Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes until removing from the tin, drizzling with the ginger syrup and allowing to cool completely.

To make the syrup, add the water, ginger syrup, sugar and sliced fresh ginger into a small pan. Bring the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
Reduce to a simmer and allow to bubble for 10 minutes to reduce and turn syrupy.
Allow to cool slightly before using.
Makes one 23cm bundt cake or one 20cm deep round cake.

Apple & Elderflower Jam

Since the warm weather arrived my family and I have been going for walks around the village every evening after dinner. A few nights ago we were strolling down a country lane when I smelt a sweet perfume smell coming from a nearby bush dotted with clumps of tiny white flowers. It turned out to be an elderflower bush. Oh this would be perfect in some apple jam, I thought, and so I set about picking all the flower heads I could find. Unfortunately on a lot of the bushes we found the flower heads were over and the beginnings of the elderberry were starting to form. However, with the help of my dad I managed to collect quite a big bunch. It was actually rather fun as the bushes were often buried the midsts of a nettle patch or surrounded by prickly bushes, so it was a team effort to forage for the flowers.

Elderflowers look surprisingly like cow parsley (it may have another name) but be sure not to pick cow parsley as to my knowledge it’s not edible. The easiest way to tell is that elderflowers grow off the ground on a big bush, whereas cow parsley grows on a long green stem that grows directly out of the ground. Another good identifier is that elderflower smells sweet and fragrant whereas cow parsley is quite revolting with a smell of dirty farmyards, so they are easy to tell apart once you get close.

I stripped the flowers off the stems and secured them inside a muslin bag and adding them to my pan along with lots of Bramley apples to allow the flavour of the flowers to steep into the apple during cooking. Within a few minutes the aroma coming from the flowers mixed with the sharp fruity smell of the apples was wonderful. If you’ve ever smelt elderflower cordial it smelt very similar to that.

Once my jam was made and cooled I was eager to taste it. I adore the golden amber colour it turned, it almost seemed to glow. The jam itself was softly set with small lumps of apple still remaining which gave it a nice texture and appearance. The initial flavour was sweet and slightly perfumed and then the sharp tanginess of the apple came in and it ended with a lingering elderflower flavour – delicious. Jams usually call for an equal quantity of sugar to fruit but I like my jams softly set and still a little sharp so I reduced the amount of sugar, but if you want a sweeter jam then just increased the amount stated below to the weight of the prepared apple, around 750g. I’m going to go back in a few weeks and try and collect some of the elderberries – it’s so rewarding making use of things from the hedgerows.

Apple & Elderflower Jam
Ingredients
1kg Bramley apples (about 5 apples, skin and core still intact)
500ml jug full of elderflower heads, stalks removed
400ml water
500g jam sugar (sugar with added pectin)

Method
Rinse the elderflower in water to remove any dirt or tiny bugs and shake dry. Pull the flower heads off the stalks and place inside a large piece of muslin cloth, make into a bag shape and tie securely with string.
Peel, core and dice the Bramley apples (you should end up with around 750g prepared weight) and place them into a large saucepan along with the bag of elderflower heads.
Add the water, bring to a simmer and allow to cook for about 20 minutes, until the apple is soft and pulpy.
Meanwhile, wash and dry 4 jam jars and place on a baking tray, with their lids on the tray next to them. Heat in the oven to 120C for 15 minutes to sterilise them. Leave the jars in the oven until ready to use. You don’t want the jars to cool before filling them with hot jam, as this may cause them to shatter.
Once the apple is softened, pour in the sugar and stir until all the granules have dissolved. Leave to bubble for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent the fruit from sticking. It should start to thicken and turn sticky.
Test the jam for readiness by spooning a small amount of jam on a saucer and placing it in the fridge for 2 minutes to cool. If you are then able to run your finger through the jam, leaving a clear track, then the jam is ready. If not, then allow to cook for a few minutes more before repeating the test.
Once ready, remove the jam from the heat and take out the bag of elderflower heads. Place the bag in a sieve and use a spoon to squeeze any remaining flavoured juice back into the jam, stir.
Take the jam jars out of the oven and use a ladle to divide the hot jam between the jars, filling right to the top. Be careful as the jam will be extremely hot!
Screw the lids on tightly, wearing rubber gloves to protect your hands from the heat and to give you a good grip. Leave the jars to cool completely at room temperature before storing in a cool dark place until required. The seal button in the lids will suddenly click back down as the jam cools when a vacuum is created within the jar. They will give a loud ‘pop’ when this happens, so don’t be alarmed.
Once open, store in the fridge.
Makes 3 – 4 jars of jam.

Daring Bakers Challenge June 09: Bakewell Tart

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.

Like many regional dishes there’s no “one way” to make a Bakewell Tart and/or Pudding, but most of today’s versions fall within one of two types. The first is the more well known “Bakewell Tart” where a rich shortcrust pastry contains jam (traditionally raspberry) and an almond frangipane topping. The lesser known “Bakewell Pudding” consists of a layer of jam covered by an almondy pastry cream and baked in puff pastry. Our challenge was to make an almond shortcrust pastry tart with a jam filling and frangipane – the more well known tart but with added almond in the pastry.

Bakewell tarts always bring back fond memories of my childhood, as my mum would often make a Bakewell tart for pudding on Sundays. I am also lucky enough to have tasted the more elusive Bakewell pudding, having visited the village of Bakewell in Derbyshire (which gave it its name) while I was at University. Both contain the same sorts of flavours but look and taste completely different, the pudding appearing a bit more like a jam and custard filled Yorkshire pudding. While both are nice, I have to say that my heart belongs to the Bakewell tart.

The jam filling for a Bakewell tart is traditionally raspberry, but we were given free reign to use whatever jam and fruit combination we wished. The recipe called for a 10inch/25cm tart tin, but I decided to make two different sizes, complete with different filings. I made one 7inch/17.5cm tart filled with peach jam and slices of peach as well as four 3.5inch/8cm tarts filled with black cherry jam.

The flavours of the peach were sweet and summery and I really loved seeing slices of actually fruit hidden amongst the frangipane when I cut a slice. The fruit gave off some juice meaning the frangipane was a little delicate when hot, but firmed up nicely when cool. I couldn’t resist the smaller tarts filled with the cherry jam – the combination of cherries and almond is always a winner in my books and the vibrant layer of jam looked so striking and pretty when cut into. So my tarts weren’t classically Bakewell, but they provided the inspiration.

I have sometimes had trouble making my own pastry in the past but this recipe came together perfectly, and didn’t tear or shrink during baking – success! The pastry was light, crisp and flaky and I loved the almond addition, which together with the almond filling made for one intensely almond flavoured tart!

Bakewell Tart - Almond Shortcrust Pastry
Ingredients
225g plain flour
30g caster sugar
½ tsp salt
110g unsalted butter, chilled
2 egg yolks
½ tsp almond extract
1-2 tbsp cold water

Method
Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Coarsely grate the cold butter into the flour mixture and using your finger tips only, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.
Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract and quickly mix into the flour mixture using a round bladed knife. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough. When it still looks a little dry, use your hands to bring it together into a ball of dough.
Wrap the dough in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Frangipane Topping

Ingredients

125g unsalted butter, softened
125g icing sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
125g ground almonds
30g plain flour

Method
Cream the butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle but don’t worry this is normal.
Add the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. Pour over the flour and ground almonds and mix well until combined. The mix may still look a little curdled but this is fine. Set aside while you prepare the tart.

To Assemble

Ingredients
Jam of your choice (raspberry is traditional)
Fruit (optional)
Flaked almonds for decoration

Method
Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm thick, roll in one direction only. Start from the centre and roll away from you, turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to a 10inch/25cm tart tin and trim off any excess. Chill in the freezer or fridge for another 15 minutes.
Once chilled, preheat the oven to 200C.
Spread a generous layer of your chosen jam over the base of the pastry. Arrange any fruit (if using) over the top.
Dot spoonfuls of the frangipane over the top of the jam/fruit and spread it out evenly, make sure you go right to the edges to prevent the jam from bubbling up and out over the top.
Scatter over a handful of flaked almonds and bake for 25 minutes until the top is golden brown. Quickly, loosely cover the top with a layer of foil and bake for a further 10 minutes until the filling is set and spongy.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool until it is cool enough to handle with your bare hands. Carefully remove from the tin and serve whilst still warm with custard. Leftovers also taste great cold when it becomes a bit firmer.
Makes one 10inch/25cm tart.
I baked two different sized and flavoured tarts. One 7inch/17.5cm tart filled with peach jam and slices of peach and four 3.5inch/8cm tarts filled with black cherry jam.

Buttermilk Scones with Strawberries & Cream

The weather has been so nice this week that I decided to invite all my old friends round for afternoon tea and you can’t have an English afternoon tea without freshly baked scones! It was a nice day so we ate them outside with lightly whipped cream and fresh strawberries. The sun was shining, the berries were sweet and flavoursome and it truly felt like summer had finally arrived.

Scones are so simple to make that you can go from raw ingredients to taking a bite of scone in only half an hour. In fact the fresher they are eaten the butter. In my last post I mentioned that I would like to bake more with buttermilk and as I had some leftover buttermilk in the fridge I replaced the milk called for it the scone recipe with buttermilk. The resulting scones were wonderful. They rose well and were light and tender with a soft interior crumb. Baking scones, like when making pasty, is one of the few times when you want your butter cold. The process of rubbing cold butter into the flour helps create a light and fluffy scone, as fine buttery layers trap little pockets of air which help it bake tall. Its amazing how something so simple and containing so few ingredients can taste so good. Why not bake a batch to enjoy with your strawberries and cream while watching Wimbledon.

Buttermilk Scones
Ingredients
225g self raising flour
20g caster sugar
50g cold butter
125ml buttermilk

To serve
Strawberries
Lightly whipped cream
Strawberry jam

Method
Preheat the oven to 220C. Have a clean, dry baking tray ready, but there is no need to grease it.
Place the flour and sugar into a bowl, cut the cold butter into cubes and add to the bowl.
Gently rub the butter and flour between the tips of your fingers, lifting the mixture up to the rim of the bowl and letting it fall back into the bowl as you do so. Continue until no large butter clumps remain.
Pour over the butter milk and use a round bladed knife to bring the mixture together until it begins to form a dough.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until it forms a flaky dough. Do not overwork or your scones will be tough.
Press or roll the dough out until it is around 2cm/2.5cm thick. Use a 5cm cutter to stamp out rounds. Do this by pressing down sharply with the ball of your hand to create a clean cut, do not twist the cutter or your scones will rise twisted.
Place the scones on the baking tray and brush the tops with a little milk.
Bake for 12 minutes until risen and lightly golden brown.
Transfer to a cooling rack and leave until just cool.
Serve with jam, cream and fresh strawberries.
Best eaten on day of baking.
Makes 7 – 8 scones

The Cake Slice June 09: Pina Colada Cake

The Cake Slice Bakers chose a perfect cake this month, Pina Colada cake, a great choice for the start of the summer. The cake consists of a brown sugar cake, doused in rum and sandwiched together with a pineapple and lime compote/jam and covered with a fluffy coconut buttercream. I topped my cake off with some twists of mango and some fresh passion fruit to give it that extra tropical appearance and flavour.

The cake was meant to be baked in nine inch tins but I decided to do something a little different by halving the recipe, baking it in a swiss roll tin and then making it into a rectangle cake. The cake rose well and so it turned out wonderfully sky high.

The cake had a slight caramel flavour to it thanks to the brown sugar, while buttermilk kept it very tender and light. I hardly ever bake with buttermilk, but it always produces such good results that I really must use it more often. I couldn’t find crushed pineapple so I used a can of pineapple pieces and attempted to mash it, although rather unsuccessfully (I’ll blend it next time) so my filling stayed rather chunky, but this meant you got a big hit of zesty tropical pineapple every few bites. The coconut flavour in the buttercream really shone through and created a cloud of sweet smelling coconut that wafted around the cake, drawing you to it if you happened to wander past. It really made me think of sun, golden sandy beaches and palm trees – sigh, if only. The rum used to soak the layers worked with the other flavours wonderfully, creating a taste of topical holidays in every bite.

Pina Colada Cake
(Recipe from Sky High Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne)
Brown Sugar Cake
400g American cake flour (or 320g plain flour with 80g cornflour)
1¾ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
450g light brown sugar
200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
380ml buttermilk
5 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. Butter and line the base of three 9inch cake pans. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. Whisk gently to combine. Add the brown sugar, butter and 325ml of the buttermilk to the dry ingredients. With the mixer on low blend to incorporate. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Whisk the eggs with the remaining 55ml buttermilk and the vanilla and add to the batter in 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl well and beating only long enough to incorporate between additions. Divide the batter between the 3 pans.
Bake for 25-28 minutes or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper and allow to cool completely.

For the Pineapple Filling
560g canned crushed pineapple (no added sugar)
225g caster sugar
60ml freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)
One inch piece of vanilla bean split in half

Filling method
Combine the pineapple, sugar and lime juice in a pan. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the pan too. Warm over a medium-low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, 2 to 3 minutes.
Raise the het to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the juices have almost completely evaporated and its turned jam-like in consistency. Let the filling cool completely before using. (Can be made a day in advance and refrigerated) (If you can’t find crushed pineapple blend a can of pineapple into small pieces)

Coconut Buttercream
3 eggs whites
225g caster sugar
60ml water
250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
150ml unsweetened coconut milk
1½ tsp coconut extract

Buttercream method
Put the eggs whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whip attachment so they are ready to go.
Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and place over a medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil and cook without stirring until the syrup reaches the sold boil stage on a sugar thermometer, around 120C.
Beat the egg whites briefly at medium speed. Slowly add the hot syrup in a thin stream, being careful to avoid the beaters. Continue to whip until the meringue has cooled to body temperature.
With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the butter, several tablespoons at a time and continue to beat until a smooth fluffy frosting forms.
Add the coconut milk in several additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl well after each addition. Add the coconut extract and mix until smooth.

To assemble
9 tbsp rum – light, amber or dark
Coconut flakes and thin slices of pineapple

Assembly method
Place one layer flat side up on a cake stand. Sprinkle 3 tbsp rum over the cake. Spread half of the pineapple filling over the layer, leaving a small gap around the edge. Add the second layer, sprinkle with more rum and cover with the remaining pineapple filling.
Top with the third layer and sprinkle with the remaining rum. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the coconut buttercream.
Decorate with some thin shreds of coconut and slices of pineapple if wished.
Makes one 9inch triple layer cake

Herb Speckled Bread

I had a selection of cut fresh oregano, lemon thyme and tarragon sitting on the windowsill in a little jar of water and they were starting to look a little droopy. I wanted to make something that would use them all up at once and hit upon the idea of adding them to a bread dough to create a mixed herby bread. The flavours worked together in my head as lemon thyme is fragrant with a lemony scent and both oregano and tarragon work well with lemony flavours so I didn’t see why they shouldn’t all taste good mixed together. They certainly smelt lovely while I chopped them up.

I decided to make a white loaf as I wanted the herbs to be visible throughout. I also added a little dried milk powder and kamut flour which I find helps create a moist and tender crumb. As the bread was baking it released a lovely strong fragrant herby aroma, which smelt wonderful but I began to have doubts that mixing so many herbs together might not have been such a good idea. I didn’t want it to be too overpowering.After waiting for it to cool I sliced into it and was pleased to see that the herbs had stayed visible and were prettily speckled throughout the dough. I tasted a bit plain and it was soft with a nice blend of herby flavours with a very subtle lemony scent. I tried another bit spread with butter and it was delicious, almost like eating garlic bread – only without the garlic (yes I know that sounds odd!) I did a little dance around the kitchen - yay it worked! It made lovely cheese and tomato sandwiches and was also very good toasted. It’s taught me I really must be more inventive in my bread baking. I’m sure it would work with other herb combinations too – as long as they taste nice together then go for it!

Herb Speckled Bread
Ingredients
400g strong white bread flour
75g kamut flour (I used Doves - use chestnut, spelt or more bread flour if you can’t find it)
300-330ml warm water (not hot)
1 tsp salt
20g butter
1 tsp sugar
¾ tsp fast action dried yeast
½ tbsp milk powder
4 stems of fresh oregano
4 fresh stems of lemon thyme
4 stems of fresh tarragon

Method
Measure out the warm water and add the butter and leave it to melt and soften. Place the flours, salt, sugar, yeast and milk powder into a bowl. Pour in most of the water and mix well using your fingers until a soft and sticky dough is formed. Add more water if necessary.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 4-5 minutes until smooth. It should still feel tacky, but not sticky.
Finely chop all the herbs until very small, but stop before thyme turn to mush. Flatten the dough slightly, sprinkle over the herbs and briefly knead to distribute them through the dough.
Place the dough into a large lightly oiled bowl and cover with clingfilm. Leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about an hour.
After the hour, knock the dough back and shape into a rough log shape. Place in a large 2lb bread tin and allow to rise for a further 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C and bake the bread for 30-35 minutes until lightly golden and hollow sounding when tapped.
Leave to cool before slicing.
Makes 1 loaf

Barbequed Aubergine with Chermoula

What is chermoula? I hear you ask. Until recently I hadn’t heard of it either, but chermoula is spicy, aromatic North African dip or marinade that is traditionally served with fish but can also be used with chicken, vegetables or in stirred into couscous. I happened across it while looking for interesting veggie alternatives for a BBQ last weekend. The chermoula caught my attention firstly for its unusual name – cher-mou-la and secondly for its wonderful mix of Moroccan sounding ingredients such as sweet paprika, mint, cumin and harissa paste that sounded perfect for a hot summers day.

I found a recipe that suggested serving the chermoula as an accompaniment to grilled aubergine and decided sliced aubergines would be ideal for putting on the Barbeque. The chermoula looks a little like a pesto, the spices and herbs mingling together in a golden saffron oil. Before barbequing, I also brushed the aubergine slices with some of the smoky oil that was produced when making the chermoula which helped glaze them a lovely rustic orange colour.

The aubergine slices were served warm with extra chermoula drizzled on top. The slightly smoky flavour from the charred aubergine complemented the spicy, African flavours of the sauce. There was a tingling warmth from the harissa but it was also very fragrant thanks to the herbs and spices. I’m told by other family members it goes very well with chicken and sausages too. I had some of the leftovers the following day and it seemed to have increased in spiciness and had a fuller rounded flavour, so I think making the sauce a few hours or the day before you need it would be good. You can adjust the level of spiciness you want by the strength of the harissa you use – I find some are hotter than others.

Barbequed Aubergine with Chermoula
(Recipe adapted from Delicious Magazine)
Ingredients
2 large aubergines
3 tsp salt

For the chermoula
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1½ tsp sweet paprika
Small pinch saffron strands
2 tsp harissa paste
1 tbsp lemon juice
20g fresh coriander
20g fresh mint
150ml olive oil

Method
Cut the aubergines lengthways into 1cm thick slices. Sprinkle them with the salt and lay them in a colander to drain away any bitter juices. Leave for 40-60 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the chermoula. Finely grate the garlic into a pestle and mortar and add the cumin, ground coriander, paprika and saffron strands.
Add a little oil and grind everything together to make a thick paste. Finely chop the herbs and add to the pestle along with the harissa and lemon juice.
Crush everything together well, while drizzling in the oil to create a sauce with a pesto-like consistency.
Transfer to a small bowl and cover until required.
When the aubergines have drained, rinse them under the tap to remove any excess salt and pat them dry. Arrange them on a tray and brush both sides with some of the chermoula. Add more oil to the sauce if needed.
Cook on the BBQ for 3-4 minutes each side, until soft and tender and grill lines are apparent on the slices. You could also use a grill pan if you don’t want to BBQ.
Keep warm in the oven until required. Serve with extra chermoula and other usual barbeque meal accompaniments.
Serves 6 - 8

Greek Salad

This is one of my favourite summertime salads. I suppose you could make it all year round, but to me it’s best eaten outside in the sunshine as an accompaniment to a picnic or BBQ. This is exactly what I did yesterday when we had a family BBQ in celebration of my finishing uni (for ever!) and to make the most of the glorious sunshine.

Using proper Greek feta is important, I believe it’s got a far superior creamier texture to feta-style cheese, which can often be a bit chalky. Making the salad a few hours or even the day before you need it allows the flavours to develop and meld together, some of the juices come out of the salad and it sort of self marinades – mmmm delicious.

Tastes great as a salad with other picnic goodies and leftovers are delicious used in wraps, pitta bread, sandwiches or jacket potatoes.

Greek Salad
Ingredients
100g Greek feta cheese
250g cherry tomatoes
½ cucumber
10 stoned black olives
Zest of ½ lemon
Dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Method
Cut the cucumber in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds using a teaspoon to create little boat shapes and slice them into 5mm thick slices. Pat the feta dry using some kitchen roll and cut into small cubes. Slice the tomatoes into halves or quarters, size dependant, along with the black olives. Finely grate the zest of the lemon onto a chopping board for ease.
Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over the base of a large serving dish. Sprinkle over a little lemon zest, oregano and black pepper.
Arrange a third of the cucumber, tomato, feta cubes and olives in the base of the dish. Sprinkle over a little more lemon, oregano and pepper. Top with another third of the ingredients, more seasoning and the final third of feta cheese, and salad.
Sprinkle with any remaining lemon zest, oregano and finish with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate until needed. Tastes best if made a few hours or even a day before you need it to allow time for the flavours to develop and meld.
Serves 6 – 8 as an accompaniment. Perfect served with a picnic or BBQ.

Daring Bakers May 2009 Challenge: Strudel Dough

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

The challenge this month was to make our own strudel dough which is basically filo pastry, a paper thin dough which was filled with fruit, nuts and spices before being rolled and baking into a yummy strudel. We were also provided with the recipe for an apple filling but as this was optional, I decided to create my own using apples, plums and ground almonds.

Creating the dough itself was surprisingly easy but the skill involved with rolling and stretching it out into a see-through thinness is something of an art form requiring a large work space and a well floured tablecloth! As I had neither of these things I decided instead to divide the dough into 8 pieces and make individual strudels instead.

I tried my best at getting the dough as thin as possible without it tearing, although a few holes did appear. Thankfully these disappeared as the layers were rolled over each other. My individual strudels turned out well and were lovely and crisp, although next time I might try making the dough longer to create a few more outer flakey layers. The apple and plum filling was soft without being mushy and mingled with the mixed spice and almonds well. I served mine with some cinnamon ice cream (sadly not home made) which was the perfect accompaniment, and providing an enjoyable hot with cold mouthfeel.

Thanks Linda and Courtney for such a fun challenge. Click here to see other Daring Bakers Strudels.

Strudel Dough

(Recipe from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers)

Ingredients
200g strong plain flour

1/8 tsp salt

105 ml water, plus more if needed

2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough

½ tsp cider vinegar

Method
Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a jug. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.
Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.
Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the dough with clingfilm. Allow to stand for at least 30-90 minutes (longer is better).
(It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm) for the next stage).
Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can.Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.
The dough has become too large to hold, put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it's about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.
(I made individual strudels so cut the dough into 8 pieces before stretching which made it a lot easier to work with).


For the apple strudel filling
(Recipe from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers)
Ingredients
2 tbsp golden rum

45g raisins

¼ tsp cinnamon

80g caster sugar

115g unsalted butter, melted, divided

100g fresh bread crumbs

60g coarsely chopped walnuts

900g tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices (use apples that hold their shape during baking)

Method
Mix the rum and raisins in a bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.
Heat 3 tbsp of the butter in a large pan over medium-high. Add the breadcrumbs and cook whilst stirring until golden and toasted. This will take about 3 minutes. Let it cool completely.
Preheat the oven to 200C. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Make the strudel dough as described above.
Spread about 3 tbsp of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands. Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. Spread the walnuts about 3 inches/8cm from the short edge of the dough in a 6 inch/15cm wide strip. Mix the apples with the raisins (including the rum), and the cinnamon sugar. Spread the mixture over the walnuts.
Fold the short end of the dough over the filling. Lift the tablecloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter. Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes or until it is deep golden brown. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best eaten on the day it is baked.

For the apple plum & almond filling
Ingredients
4 tbsp ground almonds
2 Bramley apples
4 plums
1 tsp almond extract
2 tsp mixed spice
60g caster sugar
60g unsalted butter

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Make the strudel dough as described above.
Mix the sugar and the mixed spice together in a small bowl. Melt the butter and stir in the almond extract.
Peel, core and finely dice the apples and cut the plums into similar sized pieces.
Divide the strudel dough into 8 pieces. Dust a clean tea towel with flour and roll and stretch each one out into a rectangle shape, making it as thin as you can. Use your fingers and back of your hands to gently stretch it thin.
Brush a little melted butter on top of the rectangle of dough. Scatter over half a tablespoon of ground almonds.
Arrange a line of apple and plum across the width of the dough. Use about quarter of an apple and half a plum for each individual strudel.
Scatter over two teaspoons of spiced sugar over the fruit. Fold the top edge of the dough over the fruit and then fold in the sides – like you would if making a spring roll. Roll up into a sausage shape, using the tea towel to help you if needed.
Place on the baking tray and brush with the melted butter.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until crisp and golden brown in colour.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving with custard of ice cream. (I used cinnamon ice cream)
Makes 8 individual strudels.

The Cake Slice May 09: Mile High Devils Food Cake

Another month has passed and its time for another delicious serving of a triple layer cake. This month the Cake Slice Bakers voted for a Devils Food Cake with a fluffy brown sugar frosting, a decision that was joyfully received in my household. I had been planning on making half the recipe but when I told them what the cake was they begged me to bake the full one and who am I to refuse?

A devils food cake is a deep, dark and slightly dense cocoa rich chocolate cake with either a light or dark icing. It’s quite unusual in that it uses a lot of water in the mix which helps make it moist and a little dense in texture. I had never made a full devils food cake before so was eager to try it. The only alteration I made was to reduce the sugar in the cake batter as it seemed to call for far too much compared to the rest of the ingredients. I’m glad I did as it turned out perfectly sweet enough, especially when topped with mounds of sweet fluffy frosting.

We had a choice of two frostings this time. A brown sugar 7 minute frosting or a brown sugar buttercream. I decided to go with the 7 minute frosting as it sounded lighter as it’s made using mostly egg whites which are whipped into a fluffy meringue using a hot brown sugar syrup. It reminded me distinctly of marshmallows with a slight caramel hint – delicious. The recipe made an enormous amount of frosting and I had lots leftover which we ate with some apple pie to get success.

When icing, the cake looked a bit bland on its own so I peaked the frosting into little peaks and then dusted it lightly with cocoa powder. I loved how the peaks around the sides caught a light dusting. It also hints at what might be lurking beneath that pale creamy mountain of frosting is a dark rich chocolate cake. The contrast in colour and texture when you cut a slice is fantastic. The cake is quite dense and wonderfully fudgy with a soft fine crumb that was slightly truffle like.

Its height and deep cocoa flavour meant small slices were sufficient, but the fluffy frosting prevented it from being too intense. However, if you wanted to go for a chocolate overload I bet it would make a wickedly rich and decadent dessert if you replaced the frosting with a chocolate ganache. Click here to see other Cake Slice Bakers cakes.

Mile High Devils Food Cake
(Recipe by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne from Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes)
Ingredients
100g cocoa powder
280ml hot water
600g light soft brown sugar (I only used 400g)
240g plain flour
80g cornflour
1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¾ tsp salt
225g soft butter
3 eggs
1½ tsp vanilla extract
165ml cold water

Method
Preheat the oven to 170C. Grease and line three 8inch/20cm sandwich tins.
Measure out the hot water in a jug and whisk in the cocoa powder. Set aside to cool.
Gently mix together the sugar, flour, cornflour, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Add the butter and cocoa mixture and beat well with an electric mixer for around 2 minutes until smooth and well combined.
In another jug, measure out the cold water and then whisk in the eggs and vanilla.
While mixing the cake batter, beat in the egg mixture in three stages, making sure everything is well incorporated.
Divide the batter between the three cake tins (I found a ladle helped divide it up equally).
Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until the cakes are starting to come away from the sides of the tin and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack and leaving to cool completely before filling and covering with your choice of frosting.

Brown Sugar 7 Minute Frosting
Ingredients
6 egg whites
300g light soft brown sugar
80g liquid glucose or corn syrup
2 tbsp water
½ tsp cream of tartar

Method
Place the egg whites in a very large bowl and set to one side.
In a small saucepan combine the sugar, glucose syrup and water. Bring the mixture to the boil over a low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
Once the sugar has dissolved, stop stirring and allow to boil until it reaches 116C (softball stage) on a sugar thermometer. Then remove from the heat.
Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat until its starting to foam but not yet form peaks.
While still whisking the egg whites, carefully drizzle in the hot syrup in a thin yet steady stream. Do not pour over the beaters or else you will create spun sugar!
Continue to beat until all the syrup is incorporated and shiny stiff peaks have formed. Beat for a further minute and then use immediately to sandwich the cakes together and cover the outside.
It makes a LOT of frosting so you can be very generous with it. Best eaten within 1-2 days.
Makes one triple layer 8inch/20cm cake.