using up bananas ......

Try Banana Brown Betty - 

really easy and a sweet way to use up overripe bananas ............

         Ingredients

• 1 cup orange juice, divided
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 6 small firm bananas, cut into chunks
• 6 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
•  
• TOPPING:
• 1/3 cup quick-cooking oats
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons cold butter
•  
• In a large frying pan, combine 1/4 cup orange juice, sugar and butter. 
• Cook and stir over medium heat until light caramel in color, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. 
• Add bananas and stir gently to combine.
• Spoon half of banana mixture into six 6-oz. ramekins, (or one large buttered and bread-crumbed dish.)
• Top with remaining banana mixture. 
• Spoon 2 tablespoons remaining orange juice over each.  
•  
• In a small bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, orange peel, cinnamon and salt; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over bananas.
•  
• Place ramekins in a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. 
• Bake at190/200 deg.C approx.for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. 
• Serve warm or eat cold for breakfast :)
• 6 servings. 
• original recipe
  

Coconut Ice Cream

 

Ingredients: serves approx. 6
4 eggs
1 cup of caster sugar
2 cups of double cream (or whipping cream)
2 cups of tinned coconut milk (not 'lite')
1 tsp. vanilla

optional: coconut flavouring  or 3 tblspns. dessicated coconut - sweetened

1. Place the eggs and sugar in a bowl and beat (or blend) for about a minute.
2. Pour this mixture into the top of a double boiler - medium heat.
3. Stirring constantly - use a whisk - cook for 8 - 10 mins.until the mixture becomes thick and creamy - like custard.
Cool slightly, then place in the fridge to become cold.

4. Pour the double cream into your food processor (or beat) and blitz until cream becomes very thick and peaky - scoop into a large bowl.
5. Fold the coconut milk, plus dessicated coconut, if using, into the whipped cream and stir to combine.
6. Add the cold custard mix and any flavouring you may use, stirring gently and you should have a thick, ivory white batter-like mixture.

Pour into containers with lids and freeze for at least 8 hours.

Galette des rois - French Christmas recipe

The Galette des Rois, or king cake, is a dessert associated with the Christmas season in European countries and with Mardi Gras in the United States. Its most notable feature is the hidden prize, usually a trinket figurine, in the cake. The person who finds the figurine in his slice of cake is dubbed king for the day and obligated to buy the next king cake.


Oven: 200 deg. C (fan 180 deg.c) 
Bake: 25-30 mins. until crisp and golden - serve warm or cold
Ingredients:
400g ready-made puff pastry
2 rounded tablespoons of apricot jam
100g softened butter
100 caster sugar
1 lightly beaten egg
100g ground almonds
2 tablespoons of cognac or dark rum

1. divide the pastry in half, roll out each piece and cut into a 25cm round.  Put one round on a baking sheet and spread with the apricot jam leaving a 'naked' edge of about 2 cm.

2. Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy then beat in the egg.  Stir in the ground almonds and alcohol.

3. Spoon the mixture over the jam, spreading evenly.

4. Brush the edges of the pastry with water and cover with the second piece.  Press the edges to seal.
Mark the top of the pastry from the centre to the edges, like wheel spokes, then brush with beaten egg.
Bake - as above.

Lemon Meringue Pie - (inc. really quick recipe too)

 

I think after Christmas, although you dont exactly lose your sweet-tooth - it's nice to have something with a bit of sharpness .......... this is a 'proper' recipe but below I have given a really quick version.....

Oven: 180deg.C - preheated

Ingredients: makes 2 pies (or one really large one!)

Pastry: either use 'sweet' bought/ready-made pastry ... or ....

500g (1lb.2ozs.) fine plain flour

175g (6ozs.) icing sugar 

1 lemon - zest of

250g (9ozs.) butter - cold and cubed

1 medium egg + 2 yolks

1/2 tsp. vanilla essence

Meringue: 

4 medium egg whites

100g (3ozs.) caster sugar

Lemon Curd:

3 egg yolks - left from the whites

50ml, (2 fl.oz.) double cream

450ml. (16fl.ozs) really good lemon curd - 'bought' is easy :)

1. Make the pastry: sift the flour and sugar and add the lemon zest.  Work in the butter until you have 'crumbs'.

2. Making a well in the middle, add the egg and vanilla together and pour into the well.  Gradually stir in the flour, taking a little more in the centre with each sweep of the spoon.

3. Loosely press out the pastry and divide into two balls.  Cover with Klingfilm and chill them for at least 1/2 hr.

*4. Roll out each ball of pastry and press into a tin, leaving a little overlap - bake blind, using some scrunched foil and baking beans, and bake for 10 mins.  Remove the foil/baking beans and cook for a further 15 mins.

5. Make the meringue - by whisking the (4) whites and (3ozs.) caster sugar until stiff peaks are formed.

Assembling the pies:

a) Whip the (3) yolks, (50ml) double cream and (450ml)  lemon curd and pour into the prebaked pastry shells.

b) Top the pies with the whipped egg whites - spooning them on, and smooth with a palette knife.

c) Bake for 40 mins. at 170 deg.C  and when cooked the meringue will be slightly golden on top and soft in the middle.

This recipe is from the Duchy Originals Cookbook.

 for a really quick version:

Oven: 190 deg. C - - 45 mins

1 pack of ready-made sweet shortcrust pastry + 9" shallow baking tin

approx. 8 tablspns. of ready-made lemon curd (or more :) )

Meringue: 6 egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks then + whisk/beat in 300g caster sugar - 

you should get a lovely shiny stiff meringue

   think it is a good idea to either pre-bake the pastry case, or partly pre-bake it or buy one ready made - roll out pastry , place in tin, trim overlap. (*If pre-baking - see above recipe).

Place lemon curd in pastry case, top with the meringue and bake -

serving warm or cold

Jam Tarts - very easy (or Mincemeat tarts)

Apologies -  I have withdrawn the previous Jam Tart recipe - as I wasn't happy with it.  Here is a traditional jam tart recipe instead .....

Oven: 200 deg.C
makes - 10-12 small tarts
Shortcrust pastry:
6ozs (175g) plain flour
3ozs. (75g) cold butter
1 oz. (25g) lard - veggie or meaty
can add a little sugar and some ground cinnamon too.
approx. 3 tablespoons of cold water

Pastry:
a. Mix fat and flour into 'breadcrumbs' - add sugar and spices if using.
b. Add water and combine until you have a nice ball of dough.


1. roll pastry out fairly thinly and cut into rounds to fit your bun tins.
2. Prick the bases very lightly with a fork, and fill with a good teaspoon of jam or marmalade (of choice) or Mincemeat for Christmas flavour.
If you make Mince tarts, cut out little circles or heart shapes of pastry, to pop on top.
3. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes approx. until becoming lightly golden.  Let them cool slightly before taking them out of the tin and cool on a wire rack.

Custard Tarts

 

 

The top pic shows the tarts in the oven - they flatten down a little once cooled

I went off to Wing Yip (Oriental Supermarket) to buy some Chinese soup bowls, and ended up buying loads of interesting stuff that I didn't really need - (no change there!)  However, I also picked up a Newsletter and found this lovely recipe for Malaysian Egg Tarts - not really that different from our custard tarts, but the pastry is made with icing sugar - and does make a lovely, easy pastry - (made in the food processor) ............

 

Oven: 200 deg. 15 mins : then lowered to 180 deg.C for approx. another 10/15mins.
Ingredients:

PASTRY:

225g (8ozs) plain flour

125g (4 ozs.) cold butter - cubed

60g. (2ozs.) icing sugar

pinch of salt and

approx. 3 tablespoons of very cold water

 

CUSTARD FILLING:

3 medium eggs

60g. (2 ozs.) caster sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

310ml. warmed whole milk or (skimmed milk plus a knob of butter)

 

1. (Make the Pastry in your usual way)
- -  add the diced cold butter to the flour and pulse the processor until you have breadcrumbs

2. Add the sugar and pinch of salt - pulse to mix.

3. Add your cold water and pulse the processor until you have collected a nice lump of dough.

4. Remove it and knead it lightly, on a floured surface,  until you have a smooth dough, cover in Klingfilm and leave to chill in the fridge for at least 15 mins.

 

5. Make the Custard - whisk the eggs and sugar together until pale and creamy, add the vanilla, and gently pour the warmed milk into the egg/sugar mix.  Stir well, creating little bubbles.

If you find your custard curdling - whisk in a small knob of butter.

 

6. Roll the pastry out on a floured surface and cut circles, large enough to fit into your bun tins.  If these don't reach the top edge - using your finger, carefully 'press' the dough until it reaches the top.

7. Pour the custard into the pastry cases, to the top, and bake at 200deg.C for about 15 mins, then turn the heat down to 180 deg.C for another 10-15 mins until the pastry is looking golden and the custard is cooked -  If you insert a toothpick, this should stand up on its own.

 

Preferably! ..... leave  them to get cold, then very carefully lever them out, going around the edges first, then levering them out with a flat knife - this is tricky!  The only solution to this is to make one large flan and leave it in the tin!  

Jam Tarts and Lemon Tarts

Traditional Short Crust Pastry
225g plain flour
50g lard (vegetable lard is fine) - cut into small chunks
50g butter - as above
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt
2-3 tablespoons very cold water
(keep everything as cool as possible when making)

Filling for Lemon Tarts:
4 eggs
4 ozs. sugar
1 dessert spoon of potato or plain flour
3 ozs. melted butter
juice and rind of 1.1/2 lemons

Beat eggs until light and fluffy
Gradually add sugar and whisk till thick and creamy
Sieve in the flour
Add the lukewarm melted butter a little at a time
Beat well and Add the juice and grated rind of your lemons

Line your greased patty tins with thin pastry and pour in the filling.

Bake at approx. 180 deg.C for about 20 mins.

Filling for Jam Tarts:

4 tablespoons of jam

Add 12 tablespoons of beaten egg 

- dont add any extra sugar if the jam is very sweet

Pour into tart cases

Bake for approx. 10 mins. - 180 deg.C

Walnut & Choc. Cookies for the Weekend

Ingredients for Walnut Biscuit Dough:
4ozs. (110 g) softened butter
4 ozs.(110 g)  icing sugar
1 medium egg
approx. 7 ozs. (approx. 200g) plain flour
3 ozs. (approx.) Walnuts - ground in processor (large breadcrumbs - not too fine)

Plain Choc. (70% cocoa butter) - also crushed (not too fine) in processor

Cream the butter and the icing sugar in the food processor,

Add the rest of the ingredients except the chocolate*

Process until the ingredients are combined and you have a not-too-sticky dough - you may need to add a little more flour, so that isn't too sticky to handle.

If you dont want to use it immediately, wrap in greaseproof paper and leave in the fridge to chill, otherwise this can be used straight away.

Pull off small knobs of dough - press to slightly flatten and add in a little of the crushed chocolate bits - roll back up into a small ball, place on your baking tray, gently flatten out into a round(ish) shape with your fingers.  Make as many of these to fill your baking tray, then bake for approx. 10 mins.

They wont expand, and will be ready when just going golden, and come away easily when a palette knife is slipped underneath them.  Cool on a wire rack.  Store in an airtight tin.

Great eaten as soon as they have cooled - with a good cup of coffee!

*you could add the crushed choc. when mixing the dough ingredients - making it as chocolately as you fancy.

This is a very nice sweet pastry and can be used for tarts, etc. - with or without the added chocolate.

Lemon and Jam Tartes

This 'receipt' is from the Eliza Acton book of "Modern Cookery" - 1845.
(I've slightly up-dated the language)

Ingredients - filling for Lemon Tarts:
4 eggs
4 ozs. sugar
1 dessert spoon of potato or plain flour
3 ozs. melted butter
juice and rind of 1.1/2 lemons

Beat eggs until light
Gradually add sugar and whisk till thick and creamy
Sieve in the flour
Add the lukewarm melted butter a little at a time
Beat well
Add juice and rind.
Line your greased patty tins with thin pastry - pour in the filling and bake for about 20 mins. in a moderate oven. (325-350F : 160 - 180C)

Jam Tarts:
4 tablespoons of jam
+ 12 tbl.spoonfuls of beaten egg
Dont add extra sugar if jam is sweet.
Line tins as above and fill - bake for about 10 mins.

Have with a nice cup of tea! (or coffee).

Cheesecake - Sour Cherry (easy recipe)

Oven: 350F, Gas 4 or 180/90C

Ingredients & Method:

Chocolate digestive biscuits - crushed and placed in base of loose-bottomed greased tin (8") (Any biscuits of choice will do - you dont really need butter to bind the base.)

Cream together, adding a little of the flour so the mixture doesn't curdle.
4ozs. (110g) butter
4ozs. (110g) sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla essence
1 tsp. lemon juice (or little more) + little grated rind

Add:
2 eggs - beaten
300g. pack of Philadelphia cream cheese
200g. plain yogurt
- then add:
2 level tbls. self-raising flour - keep a little back
80 - 100g. dried sour cherries - dusted with some of the above flour.
Mix together, and pour into your prepared tin.

Bake until the centre of the cake is set and is lightly golden brown - if it cooks too quickly put a piece of foil over until done.

Cool slightly in the oven, then cool a little longer out of the oven, and if wanted, pour over the sour cream* mixed with the sugar.

Leave to cool completely, cover and can keep in the fridge.

* 1/2pt. sour cream + 1 tbls. sugar (optional)
Sour Cherries: (another link) .......... from "Healthy Supplies"

Blackberry Ice Cream, Blackberry Sorbet and A Very Easy Vanilla Ice Cream - without an ice cream maker

Now that Blackberries are in season - try this lovely ice cream - I dont have an ice-cream maker, but do have a steel bowl with my Kitchen Aid food processor. I chilled this overnight (with the paddle) in my fridge, and found it worked perfectly well, and I have lovely ice cream.

Blackberry Ice Cream (using an ice cream maker)
4 cups fresh blackberries
1 cup water
Sugar - - - 1 cup of for each cup of juice
2 1/2 cups whipping cream
Garnish: fresh blackberries and mint leaves

Line a colander with two layers of dampened cheesecloth. Set over large bowl.

Combine the berries and water in medium saucepan. Slowly bring to boil.

Reduce heat and simmer gently until soft, about 10 minutes.

Pour into cheesecloth-lined strainer.

Let stand until juice has drained into bowl, about 30 minutes.

Gently squeeze pulp to extract remaining juice.

Measure berry juice into heavy medium saucepan.

Add 1 cup sugar for each cup juice.

Cook over low heat, swirling pan occasionally, until sugar dissolves.

Increase heat and boil syrup 2 minutes.

Cool completely.
Mix 2 1/2 cups of the syrup with the cream.

Refrigerate until well chilled.

Put the blackberry mixture into your ice-cream maker - and make according to manufacturer's instructions.

Freeze in covered container several hours to mellow flavors.
To serve - decorate with fresh berries and mint leaves.

-->

link to: Simon Rimmer's Apple Tart with Blackberry Sorbet recipe

and ........

Very Easy (and delicious) - Vanilla ice cream - without using an ice-cream machine

Vanilla Ice Cream - (uses raw eggs)

- Mary Berry Recipe

4 eggs separated - organic & free range if poss -

4 ozs caster sugar

½ pt double cream - whisked till peaky

Few drops of a good vanilla essence

Whisk whites until stiff

Add sugar a little at a time - Beating gently and continuously till you have a shiny meringue mix.

Mix yolks together and fold carefully into whites.

Whisk cream till stands in peaks (but not too stiff) - about same consistency as the whites.

Fold into meringue mix with metal spoon or a balloon whisk -

Adding a few drops of vanilla (to taste).

Pour into freezer container/box - cover with foil or lid.

Remove from freezer and allow to soften for a short time before serving.

Fruit Crumble - Apple, Blackberry & Cherry - basic recipe

Having just got back from a short break, I began tidying the garden (!) and found a handful of ripe blackberries and naturally, couldn't waste them. I also had a few apples left in the fruit bowl, that were just about ready to cook (or throw!) and adding some dark cherries I had in the freezer - made this basic and very quick fruit crumble:

Ingredients: (Serves 4) Crumble Mix:
4ozs. SR Flour (or plain)
2 ozs Demerara Sugar
2 ozs. (hard) Butter

Place all ingredients in the food processor and whizz till 'crumbed'.

Then butter a small ovenproof dish and place the following fruit in:
4 apples - peeled, cored and cut into chunks
Handful of Blackberries
Handful of Sainsbury's Dark Sweet Cherries (frozen - - and stoneless)

Pour your crumble mix on top, shake the dish so that it's even throughout and fill crumble mix to almost the top of your dish.

Bake at 180/190 C - until the crumble mix. is golden and juice is starting to bubble through to the top : 1/2 - 3/4 hr should do - but check to see if golden and cooked through first.

The amount of fruit isn't really crucial - though lots of cherries is good!

Serve (preferably) hot with cream or custard.

Little Cutie Pie!

Our daughter has had a gorgeous little girl - so have been kept rather busy!
- cant wait for her to start eating 'proper' food!