What Was I Thinking ?

At 6.30pm on a Thursday ?
I was thinking I need to make a serious dent in the amount of eggs we have. Urgently.
Pancakes !
I quadrupled my usual recipe and added a few more eggs for good measure. An hour and a half later and 20 eggs less in the pantry I had baked 64 pancakes.

I did give myself a little fright when I saw the amount of batter in my bowl, wondering if and how I was going to get through it before my bed would call me.

Two pans !

Once the pans get to a certain temperature, making pancakes is a doddle really and I can't even remember when I last had to eat the manky first one.
I do use plenty of sunflower oil each time, say 1 tablespoon, it makes for a nice moist pancake. Nothing worse than eating a rubbery dry sponge, in my opinion.

You need a nice golden colour on the first side before flipping it over.  I don't toss. I use a spatula. Can't be arsed to peel pancake of the ceiling or floor and tossing cools off the pan too much.
The last side only needs 15 seconds at the most.

The ingredients list can be found here , I just added one egg extra per 250 grams of flour.

Not feeling up to inviting the village for a pancake fête, the lot (bar a few, of course) was wrapped and put in the freezer.
The thing is, right, I can't keep up with the chickens. They lay more eggs than I can use and eat. And no one wants any, not even for free !  Best get delving for recipes that use lots and lots of eggs, eh.

Patricia xxx...x

Grilled Nectarine with Quark (50 cal) - 5:2

 

 

It's quite simple really. You've just had about enough of going passed the fruit bowl and pick out a bunch of grapes, a nectarine or an apple to munch on.  It's ok, fruit is good. But sometimes you want something that is just a litlle bit sweeter. A bar of chocolate maybe ?

If you are like me, at a certain stage in your life that you need to be a bit more careful with what you put in your mouth, you can always go for this option.

• take one non stick frying pan or a griddle pan and put it on the hob (fire underneath obviously)
• grab a nectarine (or a peach), wash it, dry it, hack it in half and remove the stone 
• place the cut side down in your hot pan and let it caramelise for a minute or so
• turn and repeat (not easy on the round side, but you'll be ok)
• now bring out your most favourite dessert bowl and transfer the nectarines from the pan, flat side up
• dollop a tsp of quark on each half (you can also use sour cream)
• eat and savour the sweet, sweet delight.
• you've got to agree, it tastes even better eaten from you most favourite dessert bowl

Patricia xxx...



Something for the Weekend - Clementine Cake

I nicked this recipe from the delightful Rachel Kelly at Marmaduke Scarlet .  I say nicked, but that's not what it is, is it ?
Seeing I didn't have Seville oranges I used clementines instead. On Wednesday I went shopping and bought so much fruit (you know, health consciousness kicks in as soon as someone in the household has been gripped by a bout of influenza) ....... Brrr... the clementines were just too tart to eat as they come. Don't let the warm orange colour of their coat fool you !

It's a simple recipe and tasty it is too.

Have a lovely weekend !
Patricia xxx...x

Pancake Day

Ah, perfect !

So what is your favourite filling/topping ?

Pancake batter

• 250 grs sieved flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp sugar
• vanilla to taste
• 4 eggs
• 500 ml milk

Patricia xxx...x

Clementines Cooked in Syrup

I found this amazing and very simple recipe here .
Very christmassy with clementines swinging in full season. A great standby to have on your pantry shelf.

Ingredients

• 14 Clementines (thoroughly washed in hot water)
• 6 cups of caster sugar
• 3 cups of water

Preparation

• Pierce the clementines approx. 10 times with a toothpick.
• Arrange in a cooking pot that will hold the fruits, sugar and water.
• Bring up to a simmer on the hob over a low heat.
• I left it to simmer for more than 3 hours.
• Leave to cool and pop the clementines into a sterilized jar.
• Cover with the syrup and screw on the lid.
• The leftover syrup (yes, I had more than would fit in the jar) I bottled.  It will come in handy to add to a hot chocolate, glühwein or any other dish I might find it would work in.

I have as yet no idea what I'll be using the clementines for, but for now, they look great on the kitchen shelf.  Might put it on the buffet table for a party we're having on Boxing Day.

Just wanted to add that the syrup tastes bittersweet and I love that.

Off you go ! There is still time to get this done before christmas.

Patricia xxx...x

Anna Pavlova, dancing The Firebird at last ?

The best recipe, by far, for Pavlova is the one from Joy Of Baking  It has never failed me.
What is so lovely about a Pavlova is that you can dress it up or down as you see fit and according to the occasion.

I never add sugar to the cream, as, imo, there is plenty of sugar in the meringue. 
Use seasonal fresh fruits in any combination you like.  For Easter I like to add some small chocolate eggs, white, dark and milk chocolate.

Here I used kiwi, fresh figs, blackberries, grapes, melon.

Lemon Posset

I love desserts that require minimum effort, but give you maximum satisfaction, in the words of Gino D'Acampo .
Lemon Posset is one of these desserts, terrifyingly easy to make, with only 3 ingredients and you have to do it well in advance for it to set, so you can forget about it whilst having your dinner party and whip it out of the fridge the moment you want to serve.

At the end of November we had a get-together with the choir.  Cheese and wine, bread and fruits to dip into. Some of the choir members took care of the desserts and I made Lemon Posset - 40 of them. 
They were a hit, as I expected.

I use Nigel Slater's recipe  as a guidance, but add lemon zest to the cream, and strain it out afterwards.

5oo ml double cream
150g caster sugar
75ml lemon juice

Put the cream and caster sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Lower the heat and leave to bubble for about 3 minutes, stirring from time to time. Reduce the heat so that the mixture doesn't boil over, and let it bubble enthusiastically for about 3 minutes, stirring regularly.

Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and leave to settle. Pour into four small wine glasses or cups and leave to cool. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving

  
    

                                     

  

Nederlands
Lemon Posset voor 4 glaasjes

Ingrediënten

                    500 ml volle room (35 à 40%
                    150 gr witte suiker (gries of kristal)
                     75 ml citroensap  en 1 schijfje schil van onbespoten citroen

Werkwijze

          Op het vuur breng room met suiker aan de kook
          Regelmatig roeren zodat de suiker oplost
          Vuur lager zetten en 3 minuten zachtjes laten pruttelen
          dan 3 minuten enthusiast laten bubbelen(voorzichtig voor overkoken)
          Van het vuur nemen en citroensap door roeren
          Laat de grootste hitte afkoelen, neem het schijfje schil eruit en schenk            het mengsel in glaasjes
          Laat verder afkoelen en zet in koelkast tot gebruik
          Zeker een dag op voorhand maken dat het voldoende kan opstijven

Season's Greetings

Carrot Cake

The first time I had carrot cake, must have been in 1995 in Killarney,  Ireland.   Hermans Continental Coffee Shop, a tiny place with about 4 tables and a counter full of baked goodies, located in the Innisfallen Shopping Center. 

Even though the baker, himself, was German, the women serving in the café were full Oirish colleens and it was a quirky kinda place, that we visited every trip to Killarney, after that first time.

I cannot remember, however, if I consciencely chose carrot cake or if I just pointed at what looked interesting at the time.

A good slice of moist, dense texture, with the right amount of  cinnamon, pecan nuts and the most beautiful orange specks of grated carrot.  It was nothing like the cakes I knew from my neck of the woods, that are usually dry, overly sweet and to my mind, uninspiring. 

The cake was in two layers, filled with cream cheese frosting, flavoured with lemon zest.  The frosting was also spread, in a rustic kind of way, over the top and sides.

While living in Ireland, there was no need for me to bake Carrot Cake, ever, because the numerous tea & coffee shops did all the work for me and what I liked most about these places, was that cakes and scones would be homemade and they all looked so rustically gorgeous.

Now, I am dreaming away to The Riverside Café in Sneem.  A lovely mug of strong tea, sugar bowls on the tables, also large jugs of the best milk with a help-yourself-attitude.

Okay, back to the here and now. 

Don't know what happened, but about a month or two ago I suddenly thought about Carrot Cake and I was going to make one

I didn't have to look long on t'internet to come to my favorite website for baking.  The trusted  The Joy of Baking website.  I have used it before for other baked treats and it is very, very good.

So here is the recipe for Carrot Cake , but as per usual I didn't follow it to the letter, I added grated apples that came from our small tree in the garden.  No, just no ! No pineapple !

For the lovely people in the choir I will translate it 'roughly' into dutch.

Worteltjes Cake   Nederlands recept

 

Lemon Curd Recipe For Josée

Ingredients

Grated zest and juice of 6 lemons

400 g white sugar

150 g softened butter

5 eggs, beaten

Method

Heat the lemon zest, juice and sugar gently in a sauce pan. Stir until sugar has dissolved.

Add the butter, while stirring until melted.

Au bain Marie, add the eggs to the lemon mixture, stirring all the time, gently, for about 30 minutes, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Do not boil as the mixture will curdle.

Pour into warm sterilised jars and seal. After cooling keep refigerated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nederlands

Ingredienten

Geraspte schil & sap van 6 citroenen

400 g kristalsuiker

150 g zachte boter

5 eieren, geklopt

Methode

Verhit op een zacht vuurtje het citroensap en schil met de suiker, roer tot de suiker is opgelost.

Voeg de boter erbij en roer tot deze is gesmolten.

Au bain Marie, de eieren bij het citroenmengsel voegen, en zachtjes blijven roeren (ongeveer 30 minuten) tot het mengsel glad is en aan de houten lepel blijft hangen.

Niet laten koken anders gaat de curd schiften.

Giet de curd in gesteriliseerde glazen bokalen. Sluit af en laat afkoelen.

Bewaren in de koelkast.

Chocolate Truffel Cake

Ingredients

400 gr dark chocolate
900 ml whipped cream (unsweetened)
150 gr crushed biscuits (digestives or Spritz-type)
2 tsp almond essence
cocoa powder to garnish


Preparation

Melt the chocolate in a hotwater bath (Bain Marie).
Fold in 1/3 of the cream and take of the heat.
Add the biscuits and almond essence to the cream and pour in the chocolate mixture. Fold it in well.
Pour into a spring form cake tin or line with tinfoil to prevent sticking.
Put it in the fridge for a couple of hours at least, 24 hrs is even better.
Cut into wedges and serve sprinkled with cocoa powder.

Belgian Cinnamon Cookies

Ingredients for +/- 30 pcs

200 gr butter
450 gr dark brown sugar
100 ml water
1 egg
2 heaped tbsp honey
750 gr self raising flour
a pich of salt
2 tbsp cinnamon

for finishing: milk or beaten egg & 30 bleached almonds

Preparation

Mix the butter and sugar well. Add the water, egg and honey.
Sieve the flour, salt and cinnamon. Then add to the butter mixture. Mix to a homogenous dough.
Leave to rest in a cold place for up to 5 hours.
Divide the dough into 30 portions. Roll and flatten to about 1.5 cm. Put them on a baking tray, lined with baking paper.
Press an almond in each cookie. Brush with egg or milk and bake in a preheated oven (170°C) for about 15 minutes.