Christmas Panettone with rum butter



For the panettone, grease a 12-hole, deep-sided muffin tin with butter.
In a bowl, mix the 50g candied peel, 100g sultanas and 100g dried cranberries with 2tbs rum or boiling water until combined. Set aside.
Add 425g strong white bread flour, 60g castor sugar and 1tsp salt to the bowl of a food mixer. Add 1 packet of instant active yeast to the flour, then add 160ml tepid water and the 2 whole eggs and beat until the mixture comes together as a dough. (This can also be done by hand or using a hand-held electric whisk.)
Beat in the 75g softened butter a little at a time, then add the orange zest from 1 orange and continue to beat for 4-5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth.
Set the dough aside, covered, in its bowl, to prove for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.

 

Knock back the dough, sprinkle over the dried fruit, then knead the fruit into the dough, either in the bowl, or on a lightly floured work surface (it will feel very sticky).
Roll the dough into a ball and cut it into 10-12 equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball on a lightly floured work surface. Place one into each hole of the muffin tin. Cover the tin with cling film then set aside to prove again for about 45 minutes, until risen.
Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5.
Brush the top of the risen panettone dough with the egg wash, then bake in the oven for 17 minutes, or until golden-brown and risen. Remove from the tin and set aside to cool on a wire rack.


For the rum butter
500ml/18fl oz double cream
125g/4½oz soft light brown sugar
5 tbsp rum
For the rum butter, beat the double cream in the bowl of a free-standing food mixer for 3-5 minutes, or until it turns to solid fatty lumps with a liquid base. Cover the mixer with a clean tea towel or muslin cloth halfway through beating, because the liquid will spatter everywhere as it starts to separate.
Line a large bowl with the same tea towel or muslin, then tip in the mixture. Bring the cloth together at the edges to encase the solid butter and squeeze out all the liquid. Discard the liquid.
Tip the butter back into the bowl and beat in the soft light brown sugar for 3-4 minutes, or until pale and fluffy, adding the rum a little at a time.
Spoon the rum butter into sterilised jars and seal. Chill in the fridge or freeze until needed, or serve immediately alongside the warm panettones.
Throughout the year make a less rich panettone using just the sultanas and minus the rum butter.

Last minute Christmas cake

 

For the cake:





500g mixed dried fruit
125ml/4fl oz brandy
1 orange zest and juice
175g/6oz soft dark brown sugar
175g/6oz butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
3 eggs
175g/6oz plain flour
1 tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp ground ginger

For the icing:

200g/7oz icing sugar
1 egg white
1 tbsp glycerine
 

Place the mixed dried fruit into a bowl and pour over 100ml/3½fl oz of the brandy. Stir in the orange zest and juice to combine, then cover and set aside overnight until the fruit has absorbed all of the liquid.

When the fruit has soaked, preheat the oven to 140C/120C Fan/Gas 1. Grease the inside of a 20cm/8in non-stick cake tin with butter. Fold a large sheet of baking paper into a strip that is 3 layers thick and big enough to wrap around the outside of the tin making a high 'collar' (this will help the cake bake evenly and prevent it over-browning as it bakes). Secure the collar with string.

Beat the sugar and butter in a free-standing food mixer or large bowl for at least 3-4 minutes, or until it has turned a light caramel colour and is fluffy. Crack in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Fold in the flour, mixed spice, ground ginger and the soaked fruit until completely combined. Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top using a palette knife.

Bake the cake for 1½ hours, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (if it does not, cook the cake for a further 10 minutes and check once more).

Remove the cake from the oven and drizzle with the remaining brandy. Set aside to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack (see tip about feeding the cake).

For the icing, in a free-standing food mixer, whisk together the icing sugar, egg white and glycerine until thick enough to hold its shape – this will take 3-4 minutes.

When the cake is cold, dollop the icing on top and spread all over the cake using a palette knife.

Rock Drops



Rub in 100g butter or marg in 7oz plain wholemeal flour with 2tsp baking powder until like breadcrumbs. Stir in 75g sugar, 10oz sultanas and 25g glace cherries. Add 1 beaten egg to bind and 2tbsp milk. Divide mixture into 6 equal pieces. Hand roll into rough circles. Place on baking sheet one inch apart flattening each drop slightly.

Bake for 15 minutes in 180 degrees fan oven.

 



Irish Wholemeal scones



 Sift 240g (5 heaped tbsp) wholemeal plain flour with half tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1tsp baking powder & half tsp salt. Add small diced 45g lard and rub together until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 150ml buttermilk (or natural yoghurt) and mix to a smooth dough kneading lightly. Form into 6 small rounds 12mm thick and place onto a lightly oiled baking tray then into a preheated 200 fan oven / 180 c for 12 minutes.

Tip : when you cut the scones in half to eat use a fork instead of a knife to pierce all around and this will stop the scone from crumbling.

Rhubarb Mousse

A light and fruity dessert that's easy to make.

Dice 350g rhubarb rapidly until soft in 55g sugar, the juice of one orange and just enough water to cover.

Beat one egg white in a mixer for 10 minuts until peaks form. Fold into a quarter pint of greek yoghurt for a low cal version or qaurter pint of whipped cream.

Drain the rhubarb from the lquid and fold the rhubarb into the above mixture leaving some rhubarb to decorate. 


New post in my Just Microwave blog - Orange Meringue Pie

I'm often left with eggs coming near the use-by date so I decided to use up some with this lovely pie. Can hardly believe it comes out perfect using a microwave and the orange is a novel twist on the usual lemon meringue pie. If you want the lemon version just use the rind of 2 lemons and 4fl oz lemon juice. It's a very easy to make pastry which doesn't need rolling!

  

My Wild Cherry pie



I was lucky enough to pick my wild cherries for this pie. When I went into the supermarket today the price of cherries were a whopping £4.99p per kg, some had even been £7.99p last week. It's really worth going into the countryside and foraging, much more rewarding too.

Put 250g plain flour in a bowl with 125g cold butter which has been cut into small pieces (you can also use margarine which has been in freezer about half an hour or a combination of half lard half spread of your choice). Knead in 2tbs sugar, a pinch of salt and 1tbs cream to form a pastry doug. Add 2tbs water if it is to dry. Divide and shape pastry into 2 balls. Wrap in clingfilm and fridge for 1hr.

Mix the juice and zest of 1 lemon with 2.5tbsp cornflour & 2 tbs sugar (if your cherries are tarty add another tbsp sugar), add 750g pitted cherries and leave for 30 mins.

After an hour roll out the two pastry balls on a flour surface between layers of clingfilm. Lay the larger circile on a greased 9" and make a rim up the sides. Sprinkle the base with 2 tbsp dry breadcrumbs.

Set aside a quarter of the cherry mixture and let it drain. Catch the liquid and add to the rest of the cherries. Put this cherry mix onto the base then cover with the 2nd pastry circle pressing edges down firmly. Arrange the remaining cherries on top pressing gently into pastry. Bake 50 minutes at 200c, 180 fan, 400f, gas 6.

Another lush easy to make cherry recipe:

Black Cherry Cream Pie

New blog post 12/8/15:
Apple, Blackberry and Banana Crumble (in microwave)

Rhubarb Custard Pie

Rub 4oz fat (butter or lard) into 8oz flour until like breadcrumbs. Mix in 3 tbs water or for a richer pasty a lightly beaten egg to form a dough. Grease a 9" oval pie dish. Fridge dough whilst making filling:

Slice 4 sticks of 12" rhubarb into 1" pieces. Add 3 heaped tbsp sugar. In another bowl beat 2 large eggs and add 3 heaped tbsp sugar and 8fl oz whole milk, mix.

Flatten dough and press evenly into the pie dish. Evenly cover the pastry with the rhubarb, sprinkle over 1 tsp ground ginger. Pour egg mix over evenly then sprinkle with 1 tsp cinnamon. Bake 160 fan for 45 mins.

For a lower calorie version omit the pastry.


For an oven baked banana custard without the pastry:





Thin slice three firm bananas and layer in a pie dish. Sprinkle cinnamon over the bananas. Use 6tsp jam placing dollops at intervals over this.

In a separate bowl beat 2 large eggs and add 3 heaped tbsp sugar and 8fl oz whole milk, mix well. Pour evenly over the bananas. Bake 160 fan for 45 mins.



Brownies using mixer beater attachment

Group 1: 80g cocoa powder,½tsp bicarbonate of soda,80ml vegetable oil,120ml boiling water

Group 2: 440g caster sugar, 2 eggs, 80ml vegetable oil, 190g plain flour, 1tsp vanilla essence, ¼tsp salt

Method:

1. Pre heat the oven to 175ºC / Gas Mark 3-4.
2. Attach the Beater Attachments to the Mixer. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
3. Mix the Group 1 ingredients: Mix the cocoa with the bicarbonate of soda and add to the bowl along with the oil and water.
4. Mix on speed 1 until well blended and thickened.
5. Mix in the sugar, eggs and oil until thoroughly mixed.
6. During mixing hold the Mixing Bowl steady and turn clockwise and anticlockwise to allow the ingredients to mix thoroughly. It may be necessary to stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl a few times to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated.
7. Add the flour, vanilla and salt and mix until just incorporated, do not over mix.
8. Spread evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
9. Allow to cool before cutting into squares.