Dutch Apple Baby Pancake Baby!

Two days 2 amazing breakfasts. I found this recipe when I was scouring the inter-web for recipes using a cast iron pan (my obsession) and I haven't really used it for that many sweet recipes so I thought I'd give these a go. It seems everyone raves about these Dutch Apple Baby Pancakes and I was under the impression to eat one was like biting into a sweet fluffy cloud of pancake goodness. On that I was sold.

I made 2 individual ones in my 8 inch skillet pans but in hindsight I think we could have shared one as they are pretty filling on account of them being quite sweet. Next time I'll probably halve this recipe for just the 2 of us (although Bruce was eyeing it up).

Ingredients
(for 2)
2 cooking apples or granny smiths, peeled and cut into chunky slices (not too thin)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
60g brown sugar
1 tbsp white sugar
40g butter
100g plain flour
240ml milk
4 large eggs
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
handful chopped pecans
icing sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 220°C.

First we need to soften those apples - I do this on the hob. Divide the butter between 2 pans (or if just using the one melt all the butter) then once melted sprinkle half the brown sugar and spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg) and then arrange the apple in the bottom of the pan so the pan is evenly covered. Then sprinkle on the remaining sugar and spices along with the chopped pecans. Allow to simmer and bubble on a low to medium heat to caramelise the apples.

Meanwhile whisk together the flour, white sugar and salt and gradually add the milk, whisking so there are no lumps. Add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla extract. Whisk for a couple of minutes until foamy then leave to rest for 5 minutes.

By now the apples should now be bubbling and smell amazing. Take off the heat then pour the batter over them. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes (it may take a little longer depending on the depth of the pan but you know they are done when the middle is set and the edges are browning. Don't be alarmed by the size of them as they will puff up a lot! When you take them out though they will shrink down in the cooler air.

Once out of the oven dust with icing sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. We had ours drizzled with golden syrup but they'd also be good with cream or ice cream if you're feeling especially indulgent or just as they are!

These little babies certainly didn't disappoint and they will definitely be made again. Heaven.

Chorizo and Baked Bean Skillet Bake

Saturday morning so its time to get in the kitchen and treat ourselves to a nice brunch - we always have a late brunch then skip dinner on a weekend, its nice to take the time to relax and try out new recipes and some old favourites. This is definitely an old favourie. I'd say I've made this about 3 times before and it always goes down well. We were feeling a little Spanish this morning (dreaming of a summer holiday) and the spiciness wakes you up as well as warming you up on a pretty chilly April morning.

I used the basic recipe from the French & Grace cookery book but adapted it as some of the ingredients required I didn't have in so I've replaced them with other items which taste just as good!

I think I've mentioned before what a big fan I am of the skillet and cast iron pan recipes - especially for breakfast. I have two 8 inch cast iron pans which are perfect for individual portions (if you like a hearty breakfast like we do) so I usually divide all the ingredients into 2 pans and cook separately.

Ingredients
(for 2)
1/2 chorizo ring (spicy or normal, whichever you prefer)
1 red onion, sliced
1 400g tin baked beans
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 small cloves garlic or 1 large
2 tsp malt vinegar
1 tsp sugar
few drops of tabasco sauce
salt & pepper
splash of olive oil
2 eggs
handful of grated strong cheddar
chopped parsley

First or all preheat your oven to 160°C then heat a little bit of olive oil in each skillet pan on the hob over a medium heat. Add the onion, chorizo and garlic and cook gently until the onions are soft.

Then halve the baked beans and tomatoes between each pan along with the vinegar, sugar and tabasco sauce. Season with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly then allow to simmer for about 20 minutes or until it thickens. Do be careful as the handles will be hot!

Make a little well in the middle of each pan and crack an egg into it. Sprinkle with grated cheddar and pop in the oven for about 8 minutes so the egg is cooked but still nice and runny in the centre. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve straight from the pans.

We had ours with some fresh bread from the bakery near us but in the past I've made a quick soda bread to go with it. If you want a nice hearty breakfast you should definitely try this - I think we'll be full for the rest of the day!

Pecan Double Ginger Cake

I made this for my Dad on his birthday as he is a big fan of the ginger cake. I saw Nigel Slater making it on his cooking program and then I got the Kitchen Diaries book for Christmas. I love his food it always looks so rich and comforting and the way this book is laid out - like entries into a diary - along with beautiful photographs makes it one of my favourite cookery books.

So I've adapted it a little with the addition of pecans on the top with a sprinkling of brown sugar and a little splash of bourbon but Slater takes the lion share of the credit.

Ingredients
250g self-raising flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
200g golden syrup
2 tbsp ginger syrup from ginger jar
125g butter
3 lumps stem ginger in syrup, chopped
2 heaped tbsp sultanas
125g dark muscovado sugar
2 large eggs
240ml milk
2 tbsp bourbon (I used Jack)
about 75g pecans
brown sugar for sprinkling

First you need to line a cake tin with greaseproof paper and butter - I used a 20cm round with removable base to make it easier to get out after baking. Preheat your oven to 180°C.

Sift flour, ginger, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large mixing bowl.

In a saucepan melt the butter, golden syrup and ginger syrups over a low heat. Once the butter is melted add the chopped ginger, sultanas and sugar and heat (allow to bubble), stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved into the mixture. Add the bourbon and stir - at this point it will smell amazing.

Separately beat together the eggs and milk then remove the syrup mixture from the heat and pour into the flour, mixing until combined. Mix in the milk and eggs. The mixture should be fairly sloppy.

Transfer the mixture into the lined cake tin and arrange the pecans on the surface. Sprinkle with brown sugar then bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool for 5 minutes and then tuck in if you want it hot (with custard or ice cream) or carefully transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. You can keep it for a week if wrapped in foil and it actually tastes better the longer you leave it as it becomes really sticky and rich. One happy dad.

Green pawed Bruce

Just thought I'd post some photographs from the weekend to cheer me up - as you can see I was pottering around the garden with a little help from Bruce. Such a handsome dog. I am attempting to grow peas, broad beans, spinach and beetroot in our modest courtyard garden and Saturday was the first seed sowing session. I've tried to go for things that are fairly easy to grow as this is my first attempt - when I was living at the flat I could only grow tomatoes in the kitchen window and I've always wanted to have a go at 'growing your own' (nothing to do, as my sister suggested, with me being tight!) So I took advantage of the sunshine and potted up some peas and sweet peas. Apparently if you plant sweet peas it helps the peas and beans grow as it encourages bees (I am so middle-aged before my time *sigh*).

I must buy some canes to grow them up - this stick was all I had at the time. Here's Brucie trying to help out and looking pretty adorable at the same time.

As the light was so lovely I took the opportunity to try to take Bruce's portrait. I want to get a big print of him framed for the living room wall (probably in black and white). I think that will look pretty cool. Despite 2 of us trying to get him to stay still though these were the 2 best shots. I think we'll have to try again this weekend...

Tell me why!

I've had such a nice weekend; a lovely lazy brunch, a spot of gardening, taking Bruce for a long walk along the canal, a bit of baking, a couple of hours in a sunny beer garden and I've made a start on my paper. Alas they go far too fast though! I wish everyday was the weekend!

Spring Lemon & Poppy Seed Muffins

It's one of those days today where its pouring down one minute and blindingly bright sunshine the next. The moments of sunshine are bliss and I can't help but think of the long summer days to come! To counteract the rain and will summer to arrive I wanted to bake something sunshiney. I did contemplate a classic lemon drizzle cake but then I came across some beautiful photographs of some lemon poppy seed muffins on Pinterest and I knew it had to be these.

The zesty lemon and slightly nutty poppy seeds really work well together and a sharp lemon icing finishes them off perfectly. I think we will be breakfasting on these all week.

For this recipe I based the ingredients on an American version, that uses sour cream, and then adapted the measurements and method to suit my kitchen. I always have to convert cup measurements into grams, especially for butter as trying to measure a cup of butter requires a bit too much faffing for my liking. So I have written below the quantities in grams. It must just be an American thing as all the recipes I find on US blogs seem to measure in cups...

Ingredients
(makes 12)
260g self raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
140g sugar
120g butter, softened
2 eggs
pinch of salt
180ml sour cream
zest of 2 lemons
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp poppy seeds

For the icing:
250g icing ugar
5-6 tbsp lemon juice

First of all preheat your oven to 200°C and place your muffin cases into a 12 hole muffin tin then set to one side.

In a large mixing bowl (I used an electric mixer as my mum gave me a really cool retro looking one and I love using it) cream together the sugar and softened butter along with the lemon zest.

Add the eggs one at a time and continue to mix. Then add the sieved flour, salt and baking powder gradually, about a third at a time. Once combined add the lemon juice and vanilla extract and then the sour cream and mix.

Add the poppy seeds last and mix until evenly distributed then divide into the 12 muffin cases - they should be fairly full.

Bake for about 20 minutes but keep an eye on them as all ovens are different (you know they're done when a skewer comes out clean). Transfer to a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

Finally, for the icing; sift the icing sugar into a bowl then add the lemon juice and stir until you get a slightly runny icing. Drizzle onto the cooled muffins and leave to set. Then enjoy with a nice cup of coffee (or tea depending on your persuasion - I won't judge). They will keep for about 3-4 days if kept in an airtight tin but if it's anything like our house they probably won't last that long!

A Lazy Weekend Kedgeree Brunch

This is the first Saturday in ages I haven't been busy so it was really nice to get up late and take the time to make a lazy brunch. Before today I have only ever tried a spoonful of Kedgeree, a typically Victorian English breakfast dish, when I went out for breakfast with my fella to the Soup Kitchen in the Northern Quarter a few months ago (he had kedgeree and I had the breakfast omelette). I have been meaning to make it at home for some time now but I've always been a bit apprehensive, especially when we were living in the flat, because I don't like the idea of the whole house smelling of haddock for ages and it getting into your clothes - nightmare! Anyway it was a nice day today so the kitchen door was open and the extractor fan on. Time to take the plunge!

And I'm glad I did as this is definitely worth the hype! Believed to have been brought back from colonial India during the Victorian years it combines smoked haddock with Indian spices and boiled eggs. We even had ours with a French baton so it was definitely a very multi cultural breakfast!

Some recipes vary in the spices added and some use cream instead of milk so I'd say this is a fairly healthy version of the dish.

Ingredients
(for 2)
300g undyed smoked haddock, skin off
150g basmati or long grain rice
2 eggs
half an onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
half tsp turmeric
half tsp dried coriander
tsp curry powder
knob of butter
200ml milk
parsley
salt and pepper
lemon wedges to serve

First melt your butter in a lidded pan then add your onions and fry until translucent - for about 5 minutes. Add the spices and mix well then cook for another few minutes. Add the rice and stir in to coat the rice. Add 300ml water and bring to the boil. Then turn down the heat and allow to simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes.

Take this off the heat and leave to stand with the lid on for another 15 minutes (this allows the rice to soak up all the moisture and spices).

Whilst waiting, poach the haddock in the milk with a bay leaf on a medium heat for 10 minutes. The haddock should start to flake away.

After a couple of minutes you can boil your eggs. Cover with water and bring to the boil then simmer for 4 and a half to 5 minutes then run under cold water and take off the shells.

Throw away the milk the haddock has been poached in, along with the bay leaf and flake the fish into the rice, removing any bones as you go. Add the coriander and salt and pepper to season and carefully mix together.

Serve in a dish and add the quartered eggs, chopped parsley and lemon wedges. We had ours with a couple of slices of french bread but its really not necessary as we were delightfully stuffed!

Toffee Apple 'Volcano' Muffins

Toffee and apple is a classic combination and I have wanted to make these for ages. It actually ended up being half toffee apple and half fudge apple muffins in the batch but both were equally delicious. I have been at my parents so used I their kitchen which is far more organised than my own and I was able to get some really nice photos during making these. My niece and nephew were there with my sister and they loved these sticky little treats (with ice cream). We named them Toffee Apple 'Volcano' Muffins because the toffee all bubbled up and over the sides! I know its a long way off but I plan to make these on bonfire night!

I loved displaying them on this vintage tea set with a nice cup of green tea with lemon. I think next time I make them I will do a toffee sauce topping but at the time I thought it might make them too sweet but they actually do not contain a lot of sugar. So here's what you need:

Ingredients
(Makes 15)
300g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
80g golden caster sugar
240ml milk
100g butter melted
2 eggs
pinch of salt
pinch of cinnamon
2 apples, peeled and cubed (I recommend a tart variety like a granny smith or a bramley)
200g mix of toffees and fudge

These toffees and fudge were left over from Christmas so I decided it was high time to make use of them. Preheat the oven to 190°C and line 15 muffin tins (the recipe I adapted these from said they made 12 but I seemed to have a lot of mixture left over and I didn't want to overfill the cases so I'd say they make more like 15 to 16).

Cut the fudge into smaller cubes (I did quarters) and smash up the toffee in a sandwich bag with a small hammer. This bit can be a bit tricky as the toffee has a habit of jumping about.

In a large mixing bowl mix together the eggs, milk, sugar and melted butter then sift in the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and stir until thoroughly combined.

 Add in the chopped apples and mix.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases so you just fill them about a 3rd then sprinkle the toffee pieces on to half and the fudge pieces onto the other half. Keep a bit behind for sprinkling on the top. Then spoon the rest of the mixture into the cases to fill the cases about 3/4. Sprinkle the remaining toffee and fudge on the top.

Pop in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack.

Serve warm or cold (they are especially lovely warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream as a pudding!)

Purple Shoes and Pipe Dreams

Happy Hump Day people. Midway though the week and today was a day for purple shoes and orange socks. I felt this was a strong look and I'm not a massive fan of the whole no socks craze which seems to have erupted amongst the kids in recent years. Madness I say. Anyway Wednesday has come around again and I find myself daydreaming about one day opening my own cafe, being my own boss, baking artisan bread, and living the dream. All pipe dreams of course but that is the ultimate goal. All this crockery I keep accumulating must be meant for something! I have this image in my head of exactly how it would look with flowers in beer bottles on each table, old french cafe-style chairs outside and me in an apron and sleeves rolled up, hair in a bun. We would sell good hearty locally sourced food and pretty women would sit outside drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes. You've got to have a dream! I guess I'll see when my purple suede shoes take me...

Perfect Plum Cake

I had a spare couple of hours when I finished work early today and a fruit bowl full of plums so I thought I'd make a lovely plum cake. You can't beat it with a bit of custard or ice cream and it is also very satisfyingly pretty to look at - like a piece of abstract art!

Ingredients
6-8 large plums washed, stoned and halved
150g caster sugar
140g plain flour
110g butter softened
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 x eggs whisked
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
sugar to sprinkle

First preheat your oven to 180°C and line a deep 19cm cake tin (with removable bottom) with greaseproof paper.

Wash, de-stone and halve your plums (some of mine I quartered as they were pretty large) then set to one side.

Beat together butter and sugar until fluffy then sift in flour, baking powder and cinnamon and mix well.

Transfer mixture to lined tin and level out. Then arrange the plums (cut side up) on the surface. sprinkle with sugar and pop in the oven for about 40 minutes. If you check it with a skewer (it should come out clean) and if it needs longer leave in for another 5-10 minutes.

Allow to cool on a cooling rack and serve as it is or with custard or ice cream. Perfect.

Brown Ale Bread for the Grand National

Being a big fan of real ale I find the idea of using it in my cooking somewhat romantic and last weekend I began trying out a few recipes using beer as an ingredient. Friday night was Porter Braised Seasoned Ribs (recipe to be uploaded) and on Saturday I made Brown Ale Bread and Porter Cajun Pulled Pork, I'm afraid not together though. I will write up the pulled pork soon - unfortunately its not as photogenic as I'd like and it definitely tastes better than it looks in photos. I will upload my efforts nonetheless. I actually used the porter infused meat juices from Friday night's ribs to cook the pulled pork which only enhanced the flavour even more and it turned out to be one of the best things I've ever cooked! Seriously you need to try this and if I ever do open my own cafe this is definitely going on the menu. Anyway back to the bread...

We had the brown ale bread with a couple of nice cheeses, chutneys and a glass of nice cold beer whilst watching the Grand National. It is one of the rare occasions when I have have a little flutter and my horse came a respectable 3rd (Tea For Three). This is the first time I've made this particular bread - I'm trying to notch up my bread conquests this year - and I did find the bread was a little difficult to slice as it was quite a crusty loaf (hence why we didn't have it with the pulled pork and opted for some nice floury baps instead). I'd say it is more of a tearing bread - great for dunking in soup and stews - but was also delightful with butter, cheese and chutney!

 Ingredients
(makes 1 hearty loaf)
500g wholemeal flour
500g plain flour
2 packets 7g dried yeast
625ml brown ale (I used Newcastle Brown but you can use any you like)
pinch of salt
1 tbsp treacle
2 tbsp olive oil

First you need to warm the beer a bit so its lukewarm then divide it by 2 and add the yeast to one and the treacle to the other. Stir in then leave to stand for 5 minutes.

Combine the flours and salt then slowly add the 2 quantities of ale, mixing as you do so(mine seemed quite dry so I added a bit more ale so it stuck together better). Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it comes together and is fairly smooth. Then form into a ball.

Put in a bowl and cover with clingfilm and a tea towel then leave in a warm spot for an hour.

After 45 minutes preheat the oven to 225°C, heating the tray you are going to bake it on.

Once your hour rising time is up knead the dough lightly and form into an oval shape. Flour the baking tray then place on the dough. Slash the top with a sharp knife and dust with flour then bake for about 30 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. If you throw a handful of ice cubes into the bottom of the oven it helps it form a nice crust (top tip!)

Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before enjoying with a selection of cheeses, chutneys and a nice glass of ale (or whatever you fancy really). Enjoy!

Breakfast Corned Beef Hash with Bacon & Eggs

I have been trying to locate the origin of corned beef hash which in its earliest form can apparently be dated right back to the 1600s where a similar dish of ground meat was served with cubed potatoes. It became especially popular in the UK during the war when meat was rashioned and remains a staple in many people's kitchens to this day.

I would like to claim it as a Northern dish as it has that comforting Northern charm you just don't get down south. I think it is quite local to Cheshire (Windsford, Middlewich and Northwich in particular) and it is particularly nostalgic for me as I'd often come back from school on cold winter days to find my mum standing over a huge pan of the stuff (just what you needed!) Anyway the 'hash' is quite popular in America as a breakfast dish, or so I've read, so I thought I would make it for me and my man one cold Saturday March morning.

It really is the perfect hearty breakfast on a cold morning and the ultimate hangover cure. We had it with tortilla wraps left over from a few nights ago which was just enough as it is rather filling but I think any nice homemade bread (I'm thinking soda bread...) would be a match made in heaven.

Ingredients
(for 2)
1 x 200g tin of corned beef
1 large potato (cut into about 1cm cubes)
1/2 white onion (chopped)
200g bacon lardons
1 tsp harissa paste
1 clove of garlic (minced)
2 eggs
Salt & pepper
Parsley
Olive oil

So to make this I used 2 x 8" cast iron skillet pans but any frying pan would be fine, I'm just a bit addicted to using mine since I got them and I think they look dead cute as an individual portion (plus I like saying the word skillet). 

First of all boil your potato cubes in a saucepan for about 3-4 minutes then take off the heat, drain and leave to one side.

Heat a splash of oil on a low to medium heat in each of your skillet pans and cook the onions until soft. Then add the lardons, harissa paste and garlic, stirring occasionally.

After a few minutes divide the potato cubes between the pans and allow to crisp up (probably between 5-10 minutes).

Carefully open your tin of corned beef. I say this in all seriousness as you would not believe the trouble we had trying to open a tin, not being all that familiar with the intricate mechanism of the key. We both speculated that we had seen out father's opening these antiquated objects but in the modern world with all our technological knowledge we could not fathom it and spent a full 15 minutes (with several injuries) trying to open it! Not a word of instruction in sight - is it that obvious?! Surely there should be an app for that these days... So after breaking off the key, slicing my finger open, attacking it with both tin opener and bread knife we managed to prize open the tinned goodness! I digress.

Once tin is opened mix half into each pan and break up with a fork. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Whilst this is cooking fry 2 eggs in a separate frying pan and warm your tortillas in the microwave or under a hot grill.

Place an egg on each of the pans of hash and sprinkle with chopped parsley then serve in the pan with wraps on the side (remember the handles will be hot). Great start to the day.

Meet Bruce the Whippet!

Don't be fooled by those eyes - he's a monster! (But an adorable lightbulb headed monster). He's very much into shoes at the moment, slippers being a particular favourite of his. I've already sacrificed 2 pairs of slippers, a pair of brogue shoes (grudgingly) and numerous pairs of socks - oh yes and my blower brush for my camera! The brogues were ones that were were pretty old and rather worse for wear, having got stuck in a bog on a walk the week before and I probably wouldn't have thrown out had he not got his little paws on them so in a way I suppose he's helping me de-clutter... thanks Bruce.

Naan Bread Porthole Pizza

These are a delight and so easy to make! I could live on them. We added mushrooms, spinach, mozzarella and some baked German ham topped with a baked egg. Standard. The beauty is you can add any topping you fancy and they are perfect for breakfast, mid-morning snack with a coffee, dinner and tea. There really are no limits.

Ingredients
(For 2)
2 x naan bread, ready made (I used plain but flavoured are good too)
Couple of tablespoons of pesto
Ball of mozzarella, sliced
Handful of sliced mushrooms
Couple of slices or German baked ham
Handful of baby spinach
Sprinkle of grated cheddar
2 x eggs
Salt & pepper

This is so easy to make it is barely a recipe. I feel I am cheating you by calling it a recipe.

Preheat your oven to 180°C. 

Now take your naan bread and spread pesto over it then arrange your ingredients as you see fit. Try to keep a space clear in the centre of the naan bread for your egg (I build up the edges a bit with the other ingredients). 

Once you've constructed your pizza crack an egg into the middle and sprinkle with a bit of grated cheddar, salt and pepper then pop in the oven for about 10-12 minutes or until the egg is how you like it (a little runny is always nice). Done. Enjoy!