Flapjacks

Another yummy recipe from A Taste of Stithians booklet. The ingredients are a little different from the usual flapjacks and they are a complete doodle to make. I do hope you all had a super Christmas. A very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to you all!

You will need a well butter baking tray around 11 x 14 inches. Pre heat your fan oven to 140C

4 oz cornflakes

8 oz Quaker Oats [medium oats]

4 oz plain flour

8 oz caster sugar

12 oz butter

1 tablespoonful golden syrup

1 tablespoonful treacle

Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Dissolve the syrup, treacle and butter in a pan and mix with the dry ingredients. Tip into your prepared tray and smooth the top as best you can. Bake for 30 mins. When cold cut into squares or fingers.

I love flapjacks!! This is a proper all fashioned recipe! Delish.

Stem Ginger Bavarois

What a mouthful - what a posh word. I think I will call it a mousse. Whatever. A scrumptious dessert recipe from the A Taste of Stithians booklet. You all know that I love anything with ginger! A lovely make ahead dessert, especially around this coming festive season. With this recipe I am signing off until the New Year. Too much baking and cooking to get extras done! A very Merry Christmas to you all and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. Laurie xx

You will need a glass mould or individual glasses. Makes 4-6 depending on appetites! .

3 egg yolks

2 oz caster sugar

2/3 rds of a pint of whole milk

2 tablespoons gelatine

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons water

4 tablespoon ginger wine [or 2 tablespoons of the syrup and make up with Tia Maria or Cointreau]

10 fl oz double cream

4 oz finely chopped stem ginger

In a basin, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale. Warm the milk and whisk into the eggy mixture. Place the basin over a saucepan of barely simmering water and cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Mix the juice, water and dissolve the gelatine over gentle heat. Stir this into the egg mixture, then chill until on the point of setting.

Whisk together the cream and ginger wine to soft peaks. Fold into the egg custard along with the very finely chopped stem ginger. Turn into a wetted 2½ pint mould or your individual glasses. Chill. for a few hours.

If using a mould, turn out onto a serving dish and further decorate with whipped double cream or anything else that might take your fancy, if you wish. It is so yummy, it needs little garnishing, except perhaps a lovely little dollop of Clotted Cream.  Absolutely delicious.

Note: I used syrup from the jar and Cointreau.

Cheerio for now!

JAN’S “SECRET” NO BAKE MINI PLUM PUDDINGS

Well, here is a big treat for us. My cousin Jan, from Melbourne, Australia has given me this very special Christmas party recipe. She swears by these little gems at Christmas time and has been making them during the festive period for many years. They are absolutely scrumptious!

Good news too, for anyone with gluten intolerances. They are gluten free as long as you check your chocolate used. Jan passed this to me in metric weights. I know I usually use imperial, but for once I will type it out as Jan has written. 60 grams = 2.1 oz

You will need some Petit Four cases to serve them. The quantity below makes 20 mini puddings

60 gr chopped sultanas

60 gr chopped dates

1 tablespoonful crystallised ginger

1 tablespoonful mixed peel

60 gr ground almonds

Grated zest of one orange

2 tablespoonfuls icing sugar

60 gr dark chocolate, grated

1 tablespoonful brandy

1 egg white

Mix all the ingredients together, but you must leave the egg white until last.

Make into small round balls - place in the little cases and then have a thought about how you want to decorate them. So many options:

Jan’s suggestions: 

Cut out some fondant holly leaves/red berries and stick with some glacé icing.

Melt some white chocolate and spoon over a teaspoonful [looks like custard] - I did not have any.

or, her preference:

melt 90gr dark chocolate with 45 gr unsalted butter and spoon over.

Any more ideas?

As Jan says, “they are hard to resist but rich and super yummy”. Thank you, dearest cousin, see you in April!

Just wonderful! If you have any left over [REALLY?] store in the fridge.

If you want to make ahead, mix up everything except the egg white the day before and keep in the fridge.

Note: I think I might use chilli chocolate the next time?