Spotted Dog Bread - Soda Bread
Friday, July 10, 2009Spotted dog bread is a type of soda bread in which baking soda is used for leavening rather than the yeast, and with additional ingredients such as raisins, honey and nuts, just like a fruit cake. It tastes best on the day it is baked. If you prefer not to break the tradition, then it shall not contain raisins, honey, yogurt, chocolate,sour cream, etc. etc.
The cross is used to help with the baking of the bread by allowing air circulation so that the bread rises better. The cross also serves as a guideline for even slices.
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- Preheat the oven to 165C/325F. Combine together flours, baking soda, salt and sift into a large mixing bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add in raisins and caraway seeds.
- In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt and honey until blended. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface and knead until dough is smooth.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place on lightly greased baking sheet. Make a cross incision with a sharp knife, about 1/3 inch deep into top of loaf. Brush with milk and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack.
Marbled Chocolate Cornflake Energy Bars
Wednesday, July 08, 2009An energetic crunchy bar with corn flakes, dried fruits, nuts and double chocolates.
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- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Place the nuts on a baking tray and toast for 10 minutes. Lightly grease a 15x25cm baking pan. Coarsely crumble the cornflakes and chop the cranberries. Roughly chop the toasted nuts.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine together the prepared nuts, corn flakes, cranberries, and raisins. Heat the malt extract and condensed milk in a small saucepan over the low heat until thoroughly combined. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Place the mixture into the prepared baking pan, and press it down evenly all over. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Temper the dark and white chocolate separately in heatproof bowls set over pans of barely simmering water, making sure the base of the bowls doesn’t touch the water.
- Once the baked cornflake has cooled, loose the edges with a knife and turn it out onto a board lined with a parchment paper. Spoon the dark chocolate all over the top of the square, leaving space in between. Then fill the gaps with the white chocolate. Swirl two chocolates together with a toothpick to create the marbled effect. Chill until set. Cut it into 15 squares.
Berry And Frangipane Tart
Friday, July 03, 2009Crumble, buttery pastry crust with lemony custard, almond pastry cream (frangipane - FRAWN-zhee-pan )and topped with berries, brushed with berry glaze for a shiny finish. A ground almond cream filling or topping most often used for cakes, pastries or other sweets.
The name "Frangipane" has a very unusual origin. In the 16th century an Italian nobleman, Marquis Muzio Frangipani, created a perfume for scenting gloves. It was popular in Paris, and pastry cooks flavored pastry cream with almonds and called it 'frangipane', presumably to take advantage of the scents popularity.
Crust | Lemon Custard |
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Frangipane | Topping |
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- To make the pastry crust, put the flour, almond meal, vanilla powder and butter in a large bowl. Rub them together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix until you have a smooth dough. Wrap the dough with cling film and chill for 1 hour.
- While the pastry chills, start preparing the custard by placing the milk and lemon zest in a saucepan and set the pan over a low heat. Let it slowly warm up until it’s just starting to steam. At the same time beat egg yolks and castor sugar in a bowl until the mixture turns light. Sift in the cornstarch and mix well. Pour a trickle of hot milk over the yolks and whisk until incorporated. Now pour in the rest in a steady stream, whisking continuously until everything is smooth. Return the mixture back into the saucepan. Set the heat to low-medium and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring continuously to avoid any burnt bits or lumps until it has thickened. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and butter. Pour the custard into a clean bowl and cover it with cling film to stop a skin forming.
- To make the almond filling, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Fold in the almonds and lemon zest until the mixture is smooth.
- Roll out the chilled crust and line on a 10-inch or six 3-inch tart pans. If your tart pan is not the loose-bottom type, then you might want to line the bottom with a parchment paper (or tin foil) to ease the tart out. Prick the bottom of the crust and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and fill the tart with 2/3 of lemon pudding, smooth and top and then spread on frangipane evenly. Return it to the oven and continue to bake 20 minutes until the frangipane is golden brown. Cool the tart for 10 minutes, and then lift from the tin. Leave on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Fold sour cream into the rest of lemon custard and spread the mixture over the frangipane. Arrange the berries on top, placing them as closely as possible. Put the jam and water in a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, stirring to combine. Brush the berries with the glaze. Dust with icing sugar if desired.
Charlotte Potato Salad
Monday, June 29, 2009If beef's the king of meat, potato's the queen of the garden world. -Irish Saying
Charlotte' is a very popular salad variety which produces pear-shaped, yellow skinned waxy potatoes with creamy-yellow flesh. They are full of flavour and delicious either hot or cold.
Potatoes were originally cultivated in Peru, South American. It didn't gain prominence across Europe until 1780's. Spanish explorers were the first Europeans to eat potatoes. Today, the potato is so common and plentiful in western diet.
Potatoes should be stored in dark, but dry places. Light will cause the formation of solanine on the skin of the potato. Though not likely to cause serious harm, green skinned potatoes can taste bitter and may result in temporary digestive discomfort. When confronted by green skin on a potato, simply peel it away. Keep as much of the rest of the skin as possible.
I am sending this to BSI-Potato hosted by Doggybloggy at Chez What?
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- Boil the potatoes in salted water until they are just soft. Drain and peel off the skin. Whisk together freshly squeezed lemon juice, mustard, pepper and salt in a bowl until the mixture is well blended, then start to slowly beat in the olive oil. Add in the spring onions.
- Dry fry the ham cubes over a low heat for 5 minutes and add the ham to the dressing. Thickly slice the warm potatoes and add to a serving bowl, then pour the dressing over. Toss to mix through. Sprinkle the parsley over before serving.
Blueberry Cheesecake
Saturday, June 27, 2009Blueberries are literally loading with nutrients and flavor, yet very low in calories. Rinse, pat them dry gently with kitchen paper before use. I am sending this to Blueberry - Blogger Secret Ingredient hosted by Reeni
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry | Filling | Topping |
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- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Make the pastry by mixing all the ingredients into a dough. Press the dough firmly against the bottom of a 26-cm springform baking pan. Prick the bottom dough all over with a forkangiesrecipesPrebake the dough for 12 minutes. Remove and let cool. Adjust the oven to 160C/320F. Set a deep baking tray half filled with hot water top with a wire rack on the bottom of the oven.
- In a saucepan cook blueberries, 50 grams of sugar, and lemon juice over the low heat until syrupy. Set aside to cool. Beat the cream cheese, sour cream and the rest of the sugar until smooth. Add in syrupy blueberries and eggs.
- Pour the filling into the prebaked pastry and bake for 65 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake cool down inside of the now turned off oven. Cool the cheesecake completely and chill overnight.
- Combine all the ingredients for the topping in a saucepan and cook until thick over medium heat. Let cool and pour over the cheesecake. If desired, decorate the edge with chantilly cream.
Steamed Aubergines With Pickled Chillies
Wednesday, June 24, 2009Aubergines, native to India, are a favourite ingredient in kitchens all over the world. They are a perfect vegetarian main dish because of its meaty texture. An aubergine with flabby skin will probably taste bitter. Gently press it with your thumb, the indentation should return fast if it is fresh.
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Malt Extract Spelt Loaf
Sunday, June 21, 2009Malt extract is produced by mashing malt, removing the solids, and then using an evaporator to concentrate the aqueous fraction. The resulting product is a thick syrup containing sugars, vitamins, and minerals. (Encyclopædia Britannica)
Malt extract of good quality, containing an active form of diastase, is a good form of relish to take with meals. The diastase promotes starch digestion and makes a good addition to foods of the cereal order. The thick sticky form is the best because the diastase is then in an active condition. Dried malt usually will have this diastase destroyed, hence, although much more convenient to handle, it is not so good dietetically as the sticky original extract. (The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life
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- Dissolve the malt extract with warm water in pan of the bread machine. Add in melted butter and the rest of the ingredients in the given order. Select the knead-cycle and press start. You may need to adjust the dough by adding a tablespoon or water or flour at a time until the dough is tacky to the touch. Line a loaf pan, about 30cmx12cm, with parchment paper.
- Once the cycle is complete, remove the dough and place it on the lightly floured work surface. Knead out the air and form into a loaf. Place it into the pan and cover the dough with a light damp towel. Set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Lightly brush the top with egg wash and bake for about 35 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack.