Lemon drizzle thoughts ..

I am inordinately fond of lemon drizzle cake which I first encountered in the mid 1980s when it was known as luscious lemon cake. Here is the recipe I still use - cut from some nameless newspaper. I prefer this recipe which is based on a madeira cake ie with more flour than fat.

Pre-heat oven to 180 deg C.

Put 6oz SR flour, 6oz granulated sugar, 4oz soft margarine (eg Stork), 2 large eggs, the grated zest of a lemon and 2tbs milk in the mixer bowl  and whizz at a fast speed well until light and creamt.

Pour into a 2lb loaf tin lined with a greaseproof paper liner and bake until done - about 40 minutes.

Remove from the oven and keep in the tin. Pour over 3tsp of icing sugar mixed with the juice of the lemon and leave until cold in the tin.

Lovely!

Easy marmelade

This is as easy at it gets... I have adapted the recipe slightly from Midge Thomas's Jams, Pickles & Chutneys in the Best-kept Secrets of the Women's Institute series - now sadly out of print.

Put 1 can of commercially-prepared oranges for marmalade (from the jam aisle in Tesco) in a large pot with 1.8kg of granulated sugar. Drain a 240g can of chopped pineapple, reserving the juice, and add to the pot.

Put the reserved juice in a measuring jug and add 2 tbsp of Cointreau or similar, then top up with water to 420ml.

Bring to the boil over a gentle heat, then boil vigorously for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile put well-washed jars and lids in a low oven to sterilise and a couple of saucers in the freezer to get cold.

The marmalade is done when the contents of the pot look like orange stained glass... this is the alchemical part of jam-making. But to be on the safe side put a dribble of the marmalade on a cold saucer taken from the freezer. If it sets then the marmalade is done.

Remove the jars and lids from the oven and rest on a a heatproof surface. Pot the marmalade immediately using a jam funnel if you have one - filling each jar to the top. Twist on the lids tightly immediately (to stop germs getting in) then leave to cool. Store in a cold place (the fridge ideally).

Sweet thoughts for 2012

I have been neglecting my blog now I use Facebook and Twitter... but thought my friends who don’t use these networks may be interested in some of my recent baking.


This year I didn’t do a traditional Christmas cake, instead trying out a simple mincemeat –based cake from Mary Berry’s new book “100 cakes and bakes”. It is called – somewhat unimaginatively – Fast Mincemeat Christmas Cake. It is exactly that and is moist and delicious.

You need a deep 20cm round cake tin, lined and greased.

Simply beat together 150g Stork; 150g light soft brown sugar; 2 large eggs; 225g SR flour; 400g mincemeat (I used my home-made, fat-free version with lots of dried cranberries); 175g currents and 50g flaked almonds. That’s it. I used my lovely Kenwood mixer but a hand mixer would be fine.

Then bake at 160 deg C – 140 deg in a fan oven – until done. I found it took just over an hour.

Yesterday I needed to use up some eggs so made a double batch of a pumpkin-based cake based on the New Zealand Fruit Cake from Jill Norman’s “New Penguin Cookery Book”. I used Libby’s solid-pack tinned pumpkin which I can now buy once again thanks to Amazon. Waitrose and Sainsbury’s sadly stopped stocking it a while back.

This quantity makes two 2lb loaf cakes and one 1lb cake. I popped them in the freezer for when it is my turn to bring cake to the office.

Simply beat together 360g Stork; 360g caster sugar; 4 eggs; 500g SR flour; a whole 425g tin of pumpkin; 2 teaspoons of ground cardamom using a stand or hand electric mixer. Then add 450g mixed dried fruit. I used sultanas, raisons, cranberries, glace cherries and mixed peel.

Spoon into the prepared tins and bake at 160 deg C for an hour for the big cakes and a few minutes less for the smaller size.

These cakes should be eaten quickly as the pumpkin makes them quite soft and somewhat prone to go off.

Chocolate banana fruit loaf

This simple cake - my variation on the American Fanny Farmer classic - manages to be low-fat yet still have a reasonable chocolate kick.

Pre-heat the oven to 180 deg C.

Mash three ripe bananas in a large bowl. Add two well beaten eggs, half a cup of light cane (or 3/4 cup of real sugar if you must); a tbsp cocoa, and two cups of SR flour.

Mix well, adding a little milk if too dry.

Then add a handful of dried fruit and mix well. I used golden raisins and a few glace cherries.

Spoon into a 2lb loaf tin lined with a silicone liner and bake for about 45 mins until cooked through.

This variation went down well with colleagues at work: it was actually nicer the day after I first bought it in.

I think it would be good toasted and buttered too... but then it wouldn't be low fat, of course.

The best pancakes ever...

... even darling G agrees. The loose batter with added oil yields frilly pancakes which don't stick to the pan no matter how thin you make them.

This comes from the excellent Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book which I bought in the States the other year. The recipes - like all American ones- are all in cups which makes it easier.

Beat together 2 eggs, a 250ml cup of plain flour, a cup of skimmed milk, half a cup of water and 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil until completely mixed and very frothy. You don't need to let this "rest" unless you want to.

Heat a little butter in a good-quality non-stick small frying pan than add a little batter. Swirl around the pan - including up the sides (to get frilly bits). When cooked toss or turn over until done.

Serve with icing sugar (this is important) and a squeeze of lemon.

I also use this recipe to make Yorkshire pudding. I know this is a sacrilege but...

Quick chorizo pasta with courgettes

I came up with this at the weekend: it was quite delicious.

Cut as much cooking chorizo as you like into thin slices. Saute in a sturdy pot until browned (no oil is needed, of course).

Add one thickly sliced onion then continue cooking for a couple of minutes before adding two thickly sliced courgettes. Cook again for a couple of minutes before adding a tin of chopped tomatoes.

Bubble away on the stove while you cook as much pasta as you fancy: I served this with penne.

Yum.

More soon...

All is not forgotten... and the baking continues apace

With all this face book business and various distractions (especially my OU course) I have been very lax in updating my blog. However the baking has not stopped!

G made this lovely cake at the weekend. It is adapted from the Mary Berry 1980s classic Fast Cakes.

Pineapple and Raisin Cake

Pre heat oven to 160 deg C.

With an electric mixer beat together 200g SR flour, 150g soft stork, 115g soft brown sugar, 2 large eggs and 2 tbsp milk until light and creamy.

Then stir in 50g glace cherries, a 225g tin of crushed pineapple which has been very well drained (do something else with the juice eg make a mai tai or sex on the beach cocktail) and 350g raisins until well mixed.

Turn into two 500g loaf tins and bake for approx 45-50 minutes until cooked.

This is quite a moist and crumbly cake and should be kept in the fridge.

Not sure how long it will keep as we finished ours within a couple of days.

Enjoy!

Lucia