Cherry Ginger Cake

Another old recipe from the Farmer’s Weekly collection. They really are a wonderful source of excellent traditional recipes.  Those of you who have followed me for many years will know I love ginger, in any form, but particularly crystallised! But come to think of it, any ginger.

You will need a 2 lb loaf tin, as I used, but equally good in a 7 inch round. Pre heat your fan oven to 160C

5 oz crystallised or stem ginger

4 oz dried or glacé cherries

8 oz SR flour

6 oz caster sugar

6 oz butter, softened

3 eggs

½ teaspoonful vanilla extract

1 tablespoonful milk

First chop your ginger into very small pieces, reserving a few larger bits to decorate the top later on. Halve the cherries and toss the fruit in a little flour.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar, then whisk in the eggs, alternatively with the flour. Add the vanilla and milk and mix well. Tip into your prepared tin and bake for about 45 mins, then turning down your oven to 140C for a further 20 mins.

Cool, then if you wish, make a water icing with icing sugar and decorate with more cut halves of cherries and ginger.

Enjoy!!

Mincemeat in time for Christmas

I made my first mince pies yesterday!! I felt sorry for my husband who loves them, although I normally waiting til 1st Nov, as you have to draw the line somewhere! But have you ever thought about making your own Mincemeat? It is very very easy, although the prep does take a little time. Then just mix all that lovely fruity, nutty mix with the booze of your choice and wait for it to mature before using for your mince pies. There is not even a method, although you do need to sterilise your jars before packing. I just use the dishwasher.

The quality below makes approx 12 jars depending on size of course. I save jam jars or you can buy them these days at a very reasonable price.  [I find Hobby Craft the best value] The Mincemeat will keep but best eat it within 5 months at it’s very best. So making this during the beginning of October is perfect timing.

I have fiddled with different combinations of fruit and nuts for some time, and I like this. I want a luxury combo. You can use Brandy, Rum or Whiskey - your choice. I am using whiskey this year, but I do like rum.

4 lbs dried fruit in total, generally around equal quantities of currants, sultanas, raisins, plus half quantity of chopped mixed peel, dried cranberries [no need to be too exact, chuck it in!]

12 oz soft dried figs [in Lidl, they are very good and reasonable]

12 oz glaze cherries

6 oz chopped apricots

about 8 pieces of stem ginger

about 8-10 tablespoonfuls of the syrup

10-12 oz chopped whole almonds and walnuts or pecans mix

3 lb dark muscovado sugar

3 heaped teaspoonfuls mixed spice

½ teaspoonful ground cloves

12 tablespoonfuls vegetable suet, ie one whole packet

grated zest of 4 lemons and 3 oranges

6 apples, [I like golden delicious] very finely chopped [in a the juice of two of the lemons]

20 tablespoonfuls booze

Assemble all your ingredients: Chop the mixed peel until very very fine. Chop the figs, quarter the cherries and finely chop the stem ginger. Zest the citrus fruit and chop the apples and toss in the lemon juice.

In a very large mixing bowl bring all your ingredients together and mix well. Cover with cling film and leave all day, stirring occasionally. Get your jars ready, put the clean jars in an empty dishwasher to sterilise or put them in an oven on an ovenproof tray.

Pack the jars, and seal. How easy is that? Now you have to wait.

Note: you can use Bramley apples but I find they turn to mush when cooking and golden delicious do not! 

Blueberry Dessert Cake

Well, I love Blueberries and have them every day with my cereal. I have also used them baked in muffins and other cakes but this is a little different. More a dessert than a cake as it uses fresh cream, [although you can fill the centre with butter icing], so needs to be kept in a fridge and eaten within a day. A great dessert that can be made a few hours in advance, so moist with a lovely cinnamon flavour.

Pre heat your fan oven to 160C and you will need a spring form 9 inch cake tin, fairly deep. Lightly grease and line the base.

6 oz softened butter

5 oz caster sugar

3 large eggs

8 oz SR flour

1 teaspoonful baking powder

1 teaspoonful vanilla extract

2 teaspoonfuls ground cinnamon

4 tablespoons sour cream

1 cup of blueberries

In a large mixing bowl, place all the ingredients except the fruit. and beat until well combined. Stir in the  fruit. How easy is that?

Tip into your prepared tin and bake for around 45-50 mins until firm to the touch, cool for a while in the tin then transfer to a rack until cold. Cut in half carefully. I have a nifty slicer, a bit like a hack saw that keeps it level.

The filling:

10 fl oz Double Cream

a heaped tablespoonful of icing sugar

Whisk together and fill the delish cake.

Make up a water icing using lemon juice instead of water, if you wish. Allow it to run over the slides and just before the icing sets place a further cup full of blueberries in the centre. Chill until use.

A brilliant dessert. Even better, if possible, with a large dollop of clotted cream or ice cream!

Date Flapjacks

Well, yet another date recipe and I make no apologies. I just love dates, I love eating them, baking with them, as all Cornish folk do! This recipe is absolutely fabulous! From an old baking booklet. Of course the recipe would have used dates chopped from a solid block, as I have done. Available in Sainsbury’s. These oaty and coconut flapjacks have a lovely gooey date centre that tastes very yummy!!

You will need an approx 7 or 8 inch square tin, not too deep or similar. lightly buttered and the base lined.  Pre heat your fan oven to 160C

6 oz butter

1 dessertspoonful golden syrup

6 oz caster sugar

4 oz medium oats

3 oz desiccated coconut

3 oz plain flour

large pinch of bicarbonate of soda

a teaspoonful vanilla extract or bean paste

6 oz dates, chopped and 5-6 tablespoonfuls juice from a large orange

Put the dates and juice in a small pan and heat through until the dates are soft and squishy. You may need a tad more juice. It will only take a couple or three minutes.

In another pan melt the butter and syrup and then add the remaining ingredients. Mix well.

Tip half of the oaty mix into your prepared tin and press down lightly and evenly. Cover carefully with the date mix. Then cover the dates with the other half of the oaty mix.  I crumbled it over to avoid moving the dates, then lightly forked it through. Bake for about 30 mins maybe a tad more until golden.

Cool in the tin for a while then cut into squares or slices, when almost cold transfer to a rack.  So yummy. One of the best, trust me!

Sausage Pie

Here is a great idea using traditional ingredients in a different way. I saw this in a very old booklet and was a little sceptical but was looking for an easy meal that I could prep in advance so thought I would try it! Well, I am so pleased I didi!! Now I can pass it on to you!

You will need an oblong oven proof dish about 3 pints, or similar. Pre heat your fan oven to 180C

1 lb good sausage meat

[ I used Asda’s Extra Special 98% Pork sausages and skinned them]

½ teaspoonful dried mixed herbs

about 4 oz chopped streaky bacon 

3 medium vine grown tomatoes, sliced

Salt and pepper

1 large cooking apple, peeled and cored and sliced

4 oz grated cheddar

2lb potatoes, mashed [with butter and an egg yolk]

Place the sausage meat in the bottom of a lightly buttered dish. Level off and sprinkle with the herbs. Cook the bacon in a small fry pan in its own fat until crisp and coloured, then place on top of the sausage meat. Add the sliced tomatoes, S&P, and sliced apple. Stir the cheese into the mash and spread over the top [or pipe if you want to be fancy!] Bake for about one hour!

Well I never. How scrumptious.

Note: I sprinkled over some parmesan and smoked paprika for a little extra kick, but that was not in the old recipe.

 

An Autumn Cake

This lovely recipe is taken from an old  Cornwall WI booklet and of course, as it is Autumn now, uses cooking apples. The cake is very moist and is a good keeper. The apples need to be peeled, cored and simmered in a tablespoonful of water then mashed well, giving you a very slightly pulpy mixture. You will need about 3 medium apples.

You will need a 8 inch spring form cake tin, buttered and lined. and pre heat your fan oven to 160C

5-6 oz apple pulp

5 oz softened butter

5 oz soft light brown sugar

2 eggs

½ teaspoonful cinnamon

½ teaspoonful mixed spice

½ teaspoonful bicarbonate of soda

8 oz plain flour

3 ox chopped glacé cherries

3 oz any chopped nuts - I used pecans

zest of a lemon

demerara sugar for sprinkling

[although not in the original recipe, I added a handful of raisins]

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the beaten eggs. Then add the flour and spices and bicarb. Mix well, then add the fruit, nuts and lastly the apple pulp and lemon zest.

Tip into your prepared tin and level off then sprinkle over some lovely crunchy demerara.

Bake for about 45 mins until firm to the touch. Just scrummy. Trust me, this is a special cake!!

Note: I used one large Bramley and two Gala eating apples to give a variety off texture.

Lemon and Spicy Ginger Cake

Such amazing flavours blend in this easy peasy loaf cake. I found this recipe yonks ago in a magazine while having my hair done! Well, you have to pass the time somehow! You will need a 2lb loaf tin, lightly greased and lay a strip of parchment across the long sides, hanging over to help lift it out. Don’t be alarmed at how runny the mixture is!!

Pre heat your fan oven to 160C

8 oz golden syrup

4 oz butter

4 oz soft light brown sugar

8 oz plain flour

2 teaspoonfuls ground ginger

1 teaspoonful cinnamon

1 teaspoonful mixed spice

½ teaspoonful bicarbonate of soda

2 large eggs

about 3 tablespoonfuls milk, pref whole

Place the butter, syrup and sugar in a medium saucepan and gently heat until it feels smooth and the sugar has melted. Set aside to cool.

Place the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir well, then pour in the buttery mixture, beaten eggs and milk. Mix well and pour into your prepared tin. So easy!

Bake for about 55-60 mins but check after 50 mins or turn down if too brown. Leave in the tin for ten mins then cool on a rack. Meanwhile…

8 oz icing sugar

zest of a large lemon

plus the juice

Make a lemon icing with the icing sugar and lemon juice. Not too runny but enough to spoon over the top of your cooled cake and run down the sides. Just before it sets, sprinkle generously with the lemon zest.

Absolutely delish! Enjoy.