Chủ Nhật, 20 tháng 6, 2010

Blackcurrant pavlova

I've made lots of small meringues and meringue toppings, but this is the first time I've made a pav.
As it was Father's Day, and Bob's favourite fruit are blackcurrants, I decided to make him a treat.


The cream didn't whip as thickly as double cream, but it turned out fine.

This is the recipe I used, but I didn't swirl the blackcurrants throught the cream. Think I used more fruit too!

Thứ Hai, 14 tháng 6, 2010

Chocolate cake

 chocolate I fancied doing some baking this afternoon and having found a bar of 70% chocolate in the cupboard, decided to make a chocolate cake.
I tried a recipe from a book I've had for many years, but never used. It's Jane Pettigrew's 'Teatime - a complete collection of traditional recipes'. This is her 'Moist chocolate cake', but to be honest, I prefer my old Victoria sandwich recipe. We both found this cake rather dry, despite its buttercream filling.
If I try it again, I'll use less flour.

                                         
Didn't decide to blog about it till I'd cut us each a slice, and I'd had another one!
The recipe:

100g plain chocolate
150g butter of soft margarine
150g caster sugar
3 medium eggs
15ml [1 tbspn] milk
225g sr flour

Preheat oven 350F/180C/gas 4

Grease and line 2 x18cm [7"] sandwich tins.
Melt the chocolate over water or in a microwave.
Cream the fat and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
Stir the milk into the melted chocolate then add it to the mixture. Beat togther.
Fold in the flour. Mix well.
Pour into tins and bake for about 30 mins [my oven is hot and they were ready in 25mins] Leave to cool in tins and then turn onto a wire rack.
Make the filling:
15g softened butter
50g icing sugar + some for sifting on top
5ml [1 tspn] milk
1 tbspn cocoa powder

Cream the butter and icing sugar together then add the milk and cocoa powder. Beat well.
This amount is fine to sandwich the cakes together. It's half the amount given in the recipe.
You can sieve some icing sugar over the top to finish off the cake.


Thứ Ba, 8 tháng 6, 2010

Dinnertime

Having packed all my cookery books into boxes ready for the move, I'm having to improvise my cooking. Decided to only unpack one box which has my favourite books in it.

Bought some turkey escalopes today, so decided to serve them with roasted veg. Breaded them with some of my home-made bread crumbs.




Have missed out on veg. eating whilst on our UK visit, so made up for it tonight. Used carrots, courgettes, shallots and sweet potatoes and some rosemary from the garden. We really enjoyed it.


Looks rather blurred! Haven't had any alcohol, honest!