recipe

TURMERIC & ORANGE FRUIT LOAF CAKE RECIPE…

~ barmac5 ~ Leave a comment

2 x Turmeric, with Orange & Star Anise teabags (Twinings, or one of your choice)
225g dried Fruit ( like raisins, sultanas etc)
225g self-raising flour
1 orange (grated)
2 large eggs (beaten)
150g light brown sugar (reserve 50g for sprinkling on top of cake)

Put two teabags in a cup or mug and fill with boiling water ( ¾ full if in a mug)
Put dried fruit into a large bowl, add the grated orange then pour over the tea and leave to soak overnight or for 2-3 hours
Preheat oven to 180°C/160°fan/gas 4
Grease or line a 2lb loaf tin
Add the brown sugar to the beaten eggs and whisk lightly
Add the eggs and flour to the bowl of fruit and fold in completely until it represents a dough-like consistency
Spoon mixture into the lined tin and sprinkle the remaining brown sugar on the top
Bake for 40-50 mins in the middle of the oven
Test by poking a skewer into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean it’s cooked, if not give it a few more minutes
Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 5 mins
Remove from loaf tin and leave to cool on a wire rack

3 GREAT PODCASTS TO LISTEN TO DURING MAY…

~ barmac5 ~ 1 Comment

With us all spending lots more time at home and indoors I’m sure I am not the only one who has listened to lots more Podcasts over the last six weeks. My top three choice for you to enjoy are.

1. Cook The Perfect available on BBC Sounds and Apple Stitcher is hosted by Jenni Murray and Jane Garvey in 10 minute Podcasts to inspire you. They have guests who are experts on the lowdown on making tasty dishes and one I loved was on Thursday 2nd April with Regula Ysewijn with Aunty Betty’s Gingerbread which is to absolutely die for.

2. On Player FM they have Flour Hour Baking Podcast a podcast completely dedicated to baking. Co-hosted by bakers Amanda Faber and Jeremiah Duarte Bills, Flour Hour features interviews with baking professionals, amateurs and enthusiasts. Topics cover all types of baking and the food stories that inspire culture, creativity and humanity. Episode 54 is Baking In The Time of Corona which is very apt. They discuss how they are coping with the new reality, resrouces, favorite books, substitutions and more. You can download the Player FM app free on App Store and Google Play.

3. Another great one on Player FM is Preheated which is full of kitchen wisdom and friendly chat from two friends who love to bake. Episode 174 is Donut Life and a bumper final episode of Sweet & Sour Month! The hosts are intrigued by a sour-cream pie crust, and Stefin’s finally tackled homemade milk kefir using freeze-dried starter (reminding Andrea of cowboy sourdough). In this week’s review, the duo dodge numerous frustrations to declare Shauna Sever’s Donut Loaf a huge, powdered-sugar-covered win. And who can resist the month’s final bake-along? Emma Christensen’s Buttermilk Quick Bread with an astonishing 10 variations, that uses your choice of fat, flour, and sweet or savory add-ins. Finally, the duo take a Dairy Deep Dive into the history behind some of this month’s tangy ingredients.

Bake along with Stefin and Andrea in their baking Facebook group, Preheated Baking Podcast Listeners. You can find links to recipes on their baking website www.preheatedpodcast.com, or follow the hosts on Twitter and Instagram, using handle preheatedpod.

7 UNUSUAL WAYS TO USE TEA…

~ barmac5 ~ 1 Comment

1. To reduce travel sickness or morning sickness drink camomile, fennel or ginger tea. This is also good for indigestion.

2. To make your own herb tea put one small handful of the fresh herb or one heaped teaspoon of the dried herb in a cup of boiling water. Leave to stand for about five to ten minutes then strain and drink the tea while it’s still hot.

3. To refresh the colours of a carpet, sprinkle over a mixture of tea-leaves and salt, and then vacuum.

4. To remove tea or coffee stains from china, rub with a damp cloth dipped in baking soda.

5. Re-brew used tea bags to refresh parched skin. Allow the tea to cool, then pour it into a spray or squeeze bottle. Spritz it onto your skin or apply with a cotton pad. Any tea will do, but the antioxidants in green tea are particularly effective for rehydrating dry skin.

6. Place a teabag in the pan and fill it with hot water. Allow it to soak overnight, and the tannins in the tea will help loosen anything stuck in the bottom of your pan.

7. Tea and tea bags can both help with the decomposition of your compost pile.

SOME PUDDING/DESSERT RECIPES FROM THE 1960’S…

~ barmac5 ~ 1 Comment

Some great dessert/pudding recipes from the 1960’s are coming back into fashion. Remember the Fondue.

No young, hip couple was complete without a fondue set. Dipping strawberries and cake cubes into molten chocolate and bubbling apricot brandy was the perfect way to pass an evening before a fireplace.

Egg Nog, another firm favourite and easy to make.

Eggnog Pudding Recipe

Another one was Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Apparently, midcentury people treated canned pineapple as a gift from the heavens.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake is a classic retro cake recipe. Sweet pineapple rings in a buttery brown sugar topping, baked with a delicious cake. An easy dessert recipe by retrorecipebox.com #cake #easydessert #pineapple

1960 era Dandy do-little Desserts Recipes

BlackForest Gateaux has become very popular again now with some finished in a more modern way.

Authentic Black Forest Cake Recipe - Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte

Junket was a digestive enzyme known as rennet dumped into milk, which would curdle into a kind of custard. It’s more delicious than it sounds. The stuff was quite popular in the northeast, and the Junket brand branched out to include Sherbet Mix and Quick Fudge.

What the Heck is Junket, Anyway? — Jessie Unicorn Moore

THE SECRET TO COOKING GREAT FOOD WITH LIMITED INGREDIENTS…

~ barmac5 ~ Leave a comment

When you get home after a hard day at work, open the fridge and realise that there’s basically nothing in there, you’ve got two choices. You could go back out again and buy some ingredients or you can try to make do with what you’ve got. You can cook some pretty incredible meals with just a couple of ingredients but there is a certain art to it. Use these three simple tricks to master cooking with limited ingredients.

1. KNOW YOUR FLAVOUR PAIRINGS…

Strawberries and cream, cheese and tomato, lemon and garlic. Some flavours just go well together and they create such a delicious combination that you don’t need much else in your meal. Identifying the food pairings made in heaven is the key to cooking well with a small number of ingredients. You’re going to be experimenting with flavours a lot which is always a good thing, but if you don’t know what you’re doing you can end up with some disasters. If you just start throwing things together without some idea of whether they’ll taste good, you’re probably not going to end up with a nice meal. But if you find those flavour combinations, they’ll stand you in good stead.

2. MAKE USE OF SPICES…

Often, if you don’t have a lot of fresh ingredients to use, you need to rely on flavourings. If, for example, you’ve got a load of beans and pulses in the cupboard and not much else, you can still make a delicious meal out of them if you know how to use herbs and spices properly. The correct combination of a couple of spices can really elevate even the most boring of dishes. The staples that you need in your cupboard are cumin, chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, oregano, parsley and paprika. You can create all sorts of different flavours using different combinations of those. You should also keep a tub of curry powder in the cupboard, it’s a great shortcut that you can use to make a delicious curry in no time at all. You’ll also need to learn when spices should be added to the pot because some need to go in right at the start while others only need to be cooked for a few minutes to release their flavour. Over or under cooking spices can completely ruin the flavour.

3. BUY VERSATILE INGREDIENTS…

When you’re only working with a couple of ingredients, you want things that you can create lots of different flavours and textures. Buying these versatile ingredients and keeping them in the cupboard will allow you to create a meal out of anything. Eggs are a great one; you can put a boiled or poached egg on top of a meal to add extra protein and nutrients, you can use them in baking or make a sauce with them. Chickpeas are another great ingredient; they make a good substitute for meat in a curry or chilli, you can make them into hummus or you can drizzle them in a bit of oil and bake them for half an hour for a delicious crispy snack. Knowing how to use versatile ingredients will make life so much easier for you.

Follow these 3 tips and you’ll be able to cook amazing food with just a few ingredients.

 

2 FREE KINDLE RECIPE BOOKS WORTH READING OVER THE BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND…

~ barmac5 ~ Leave a comment
  1. Gluten-Free Freezer Recipes and Gluten-free Recipes for Kids by Tamara Paul – The Going Gluten-Free Cookbooks provide you with everything you need to go Gluten-Free, stay Gluten-Free, and LOVE EATING GLUTEN-FREE:
  2. Vitamix Recipes – Soups, Smoothies, Juices, and Sauces – don’t have a Vitamix? A blender will do just fine!
  3. A Collection of Your Favoruite Foods (All Gluten-Free) – miss the pasta, pizza, burgers, and desserts from your diet? It’s all one click away!
  4. Italian, Indian, Greek, Mexican recipes, and many more!
  5. Always on the go? Check out the On-The-Go Recipe Book or the Freezer Recipes Book to save time!
  6. On a budget? Eating gluten-free doesn’t have to be more expensive than it already is – check out the Quick, Cheap, and Gluten-Free Recipes – with every recipe taking 10 minutes or less!
  7. Slow cookers, pressure cookers, and baking galore – you’l find it all with this amazing set of cookbooks!
  8. All recipes are family-friendly, and Tamara goes a step further by providing her very own set of Gluten-Free Kids Recipes – great for the whole family – even better for the little ones! 

Food on a Stick Cookbook: State Fair and Carnival Food on a Stick Recipes by Choose between sweet and savory food on a stick or even better prepare a real state fair meal from appetizers, sides, snacks, and main entrées to desserts!

Recipes include savory recipes like:
• Corn Dogs
• Pork Chops on a Stick
• Steak Taco on a Stick
• Cheese Meatballs on a Stick
• Tornado Potatoes
• Meatloaf on a Stick
• Caprese Kabob on a Stick
• Pizza on a Stick
• Lasagna Rolls on a Stick
• Thai Chicken Skewers

For the sweet tooth, some of the examples of recipes included in this collection are:
• Rainbow Cake Push Pops
• Mango-Strawberry Ice Pops
• Candy Bars on a Stick
• Caramel and Chocolate Apple on a Stick
• Cookie Pops
• Donut on a Stick
• Caramel Popcorn on a Stick
• Fruity Fun Skewers
• Cheesecake on a Stick
• Cupcake on a Stick   

 

GIN AND PINK GRAPEFRUIT TONIC LOAF CAKE FROM GOOD HOUSEKEEPING…

~ barmac5 ~ Leave a comment

I am sure by now that my readers know that I love making my loaf cakes and the easier the recipe the more the cake is made. Last week I held a fund-raising coffee morning for Cancer Research and made two Soggy Orange Loaf Cakes and some homemade biscuits for the everyone to enjoy.

I had so many people asking for the recipe for the Soggy Orange Loaf Cake that I was told I should have printed the recipe off and charged for a copy of it and that way I could have made more money for the charity. I will remember that next time.

The recipe I am covering today was one a friend send me the link to on Facebook as she knows how much I love making my loaf cakes. Its’ a Good Housekeeping recipe and is available from their website but also on their Facebook page where you can also watch it being made. As like all my others, it’s very easy to make.

GIN AND PINK GRAPEFRUIT TONIC CAKE…

Ingredients

  • 200 g (7oz) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
  • 200 g (7oz) caster sugar
  • 4 medium eggs, beaten
  • 200 g (7oz) self-raising flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • Finely grated zest 1 pink grapefruit
  • 75 ml (3 fl oz) gin

FOR THE SYRUP AND TOPPING

Ingredients

  • 75 g (3oz) caster sugar
  • 75 ml 1 pink grapefruit tonic water, we used Fentiman’s Pink Grapefruit Tonic Water
  • 3 tbsp gin
  • 100 g (3 ½oz) icing sugar, sifted
  • Red or pink food colouring

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Grease and line base and sides of a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with baking parchment, making sure that the parchment comes up at about 4cm (11/2in) higher than the sides of the tin.
  2. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar with a handheld electric whisk until light and fluffy, about 3min. Gradually add eggs, beating well after each addition.
  3. Fold in flour, baking powder and grapefruit zest (reserve remaining grapefruit for later), followed by the gin. Spoon into prepared tin and bake for 55min-1hr or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  4. Meanwhile, make the sugar syrup: Half the grapefruit and squeeze the juice from one half only. Gently heat the caster sugar and tonic water in a small pan, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat and boil for 1min. Remove from heat and mix in the gin and 1tbsp grapefruit juice.
  5. When the loaf comes out of the oven, poke holes all over the top with a skewer and slowly drizzle over half the gin syrup mixture. Leave to soak in for 10min then drizzle with remaining syrup. Leave to cool in tin on a wire rack.
  6. Cut the remaining half the grapefruit in half again, then slice a couple of thin half-moons from one of the halves. Lay the slices flat on a board, and cut along the segment lines into small triangle shapes. Put the triangles on kitchen paper to dry.
  7. Using the tin as a guide, run a knife horizontally along the top of the loaf cake to cut off the rounded top. Invert the cake on to a serving plate and peel off the parchment. Mix the icing sugar with enough grapefruit juice (about 11/2tbsp), to make a slightly thick but pourable icing. Use a cocktail stick to add a very small amount of food colouring to the icing, to tinge it a pale pink (repeat if necessary until you get the desired shade). Spoon icing over the cake and decorate with the grapefruit triangles.To store

    Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days if without grapefruit decoration (or about 3 days with grapefruit slices).