Lemon Posset

Lemon Posset and Lavender biscuits

We had been out to dinner last Saturday and the hotel served this delicious treat to us.  So I had to find out how to make it myself.

The posset is easy as you simply buy a 250ml carton of double cream and place it in a large saucepan which you put on a slow heat.  Then I added 2oz of caster sugar and stirred it in, and let it come to a gentle boil for 3 minutes.  Next it was taken off the heat and placed to one side to cool for 5 minutes.  I added the juice of half a lemon and some of the finely chopped zest and popped it all into my Kenwood chef and gave it about a minute on a brisk whisk.  It was poured into bone china two handed cups and left in the fridge for about 3 hours.

The biscuits are a Mary Berry recipe which you can find here http://www.countrywives.co.uk/2013/07/11/mary-berrys-lavender-biscuits/

The decoration is a small sprig of lavender.

Try this recipe if you want to impress someone and want a no fuss simple to make dish, it tastes wonderful and Bella licked the dishes clean too, which is an added bonus......ha ha

International Bacon Day

I found this recipe for international bacon day which is today folks, if you try it let me know what it's like :-)



It might seem strange but these cupcakes take the salty-sweet combination to a new level. Makes 6.

Ingredients:
60g unsalted butter, softened
60g golden caster sugar
1 egg
65g self-raising flour
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp maple syrup
4 rashers of smoked, streaky bacon
For the icing:
50g softened butter
100g icing sugar
1 tsp maple syrup
A drop of milk
Method:
1. Grill the bacon until crisp. Set one rasher aside for the topping and finely chop the remaining three rashers. Leave to cool.
2. Beat together the butter and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and then the flour, vanilla extract and maple syrup. Stir in the chopped bacon.
3. Divide the mixture between six holes of a silicone muffin tray or use paper cases. Bake at 200°C for 20 minutes, or until cooked through (check with a skewer or toothpick). Leave to cool completely.
4. For the icing, beat the butter and icing sugar in a bowl until smooth. Trickle in the maple syrup and add a drop of milk - a little at a time — to soften slightly. Pipe the icing on top of the cooled cakes. Finally, cut the grilled bacon rasher you set to one side in step 1 into 6 small shards and poke into the top of the iced cupcake.



Maybe you would prefer something a bit more traditional? I know I would, this looks worth trying to me.


 

Use up any leftover potatoes and veg by making these bacon potato cakes for breakfast or brunch. These are great with black pudding crumbled in, too. Serves 1.

Ingredients:
100g leftover mashed potato
Small handful of chopped, cooked greens (use leftovers)
1 rasher of bacon
1 egg
Method:
1. Grill the bacon until cooked through and golden and chop into small pieces.
2. In a bowl, mix the leftover mashed potato, grilled, chopped bacon and the cooked greens. Season with a little pepper and salt if you think it needs it (this will depend on how much you seasoned your mash when you first made it).
3. Form the mixture into a patty and fry in a little oil for 5 minutes on each side, until heated through. Top with a fried or poached egg and grind over some black pepper before serving.

I am going to try this on DH soon..... where's the potato masher?

Sausage Rolls Update

Cumberland Sausage Rolls updated link

This is the new link for Peter Sidwell's recipe, my old link has stopped working. I know that it is often looked at because my viewing stats tell me ;-)

Now that I am on the new blogger platform for this and my other blogs I help out with, I find it much easier to use. Anyway, I hope it turns sunny tomorrow, missing it.

My display of Pelargoniums last summer

Peshwari Naan

The filling added and the coconut milk brushed on the edges

Recipe Ingredients
Made up white bread dough and filling

Filling
Ground almonds 4 teaspoons, ground pistachio nuts (about 20), 1 tablespoon chopped Californian raisins, mix together. Plus an apple for grating on the top if you like apple.

coconut milk for brushing the edges and binding, clarified butter called Ghee for frying

I make these to have with chicken curry and I know you can buy them in the shops but try these as they are much better and fresher.

I make up my normal white bread mix nothing fancy added at all just dried yeast, Carrs Strong White flour and 2 tablespoons of olive oil plus the warm water. Use any of your favourite recipes for white bread dough and it should be fine but try and use good olive oil if you can.

Next I let the dough rise as usual and then I knock it back and pull off a piece about the size of a golf ball.  I roll this out into roughly a 7-8 inch round but a bit bigger is ok, see the photo above. I add 2 teaspoons of filling and then grate on some apple including the skin which in this case was red. Brush around the outside with coconut milk and bring the sides into the middle and press them down so they keep the filling inside. Then I turn them over and leave them on a plate until I am ready to roll them and cook them in my Remoska cooker. I use a small amount of ghee in the cooker and cook the first side for about 3 - 4 minutes then turn over and cook the other side. It really depends on your method for cooking as you could use a heavy cast iron frying pan just as well.

Filling inside and waiting to be rolled flat.

They don't last long before being devoured

Thank you Walmart

This is the back of my Christmas tablecloth and I just wanted you to see how good the cheap fabric backing is. I bought it in Walmart, Palm Springs in the spring and its just perfect for the job. I would not make a quilt top with this quality of fabric but for backing stuff at about £3 a yard it can't be beaten. Next time I'm over visiting DD I will need more room in my bag for stashing some more.

My Seville Orange Marmalade

As you can see by the other photo it is Seville orange season and I bought 10.  My recipe is simple. I pare off the rind and place it in one pan with about 2 pints of water and simmer for 2 hours slowly, (topping up the water if need be to just cover the rind).  In the end I have about half a pint of liquid and the softened rind.  I place the rest of the oranges in another pot and cut them into quarters and then once more into eights and add another 2 pints of water to them. These simmer for the same time as the rind and I carefully watch towards the end of the cooking time for any sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Then I take the pulped fruit and pass it through a fine nylon sieve just a few tablespoons at a time and push it around with a wooden spoon so that the liquid all comes out. I scrape the mushy stuff off the bottom of the sieve and that also goes into the marmalade as its quite ok. The sieve contents should be quite dryish and well 'rung out' when I discard them. I repeat this operation until all the pulp has gone through and the result is usually a lovely thick consistency. I then add the rind and its juice to this sieved pulp and pop it back onto heat up. Then I added in this case about 2 and a half kilos of preserving sugar.  This only needing boiling for about 5 minutes and then I tested for set and it was ready. (I test on a saucer, just a small spoonful, leave it 5 minutes and then push it with my finger, if it forms creases, its ready.) I use old jam jars with the pop up lids and always make sure they seal i.e. they don't pop back up when pressed. Of course the marmalade goes in hot and the jars are sterilised prior to use with scalding water which is tipped out just before I fill them. In this case the marmalade is a lovely tawny colour and has set perfectly.


My Seville Orange Marmalade.



A rest day

Jamie Oliver's Lemon Drizzle Cake without the icing sugar topping.

I had a day off from toil with the Cumbria Patchworkers summer gathering.  Quite a jolly event held in a conservatory in Threlkeld. We had an enormous groaning table of goodies to tempt us at lunch time.  I made a carrot cake as a contribution and no the cake featured is not a carrot cake, you've seen photos of those before so this one is a Lemon Drizzle. http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/other-recipes/my-nan-s-lemon-drizzle-cake

We had to make something whilst we chatted away so the choice this year was a small drawstring bag which could contain a gift or perhaps some dried lavender in a mesh bag.

I am busy clearing my den today ready to hit the sewing machines and I have an idea for some new machine embroidery. Let's hope the sewing machine God's shine on me......

Sachertorte

Self explanatory really, this is the cake I could not resist making, but you will note that I have scored it into quarters ready for further divisions.... It is so fattening, you would not believe it if I told you the recipe....I will only add that it is not a conventional cake, so you need to have fresh brown breadcrumbs and ground almonds to the ready.  I always make my own bread first and then save some to make the 2ozs of breadcrumbs required. It also contains creamed unsalted butter and castor sugar which I can now make myself with my new glass liquidiser as it grinds granulated sugar. You also need fresh free range eggs and they must be separated and of course good quality chocolate.  I use 2 types; Cadbury's Bournville for the cake mixture and Prestat  Choxi for the topping which is double cream and chocolate mixed.  Before you spread the chocolate icing on top you need to cover the cake top in Apricot jam too and I have to admit that this I do not make myself, I usually buy it. So now you know why it has to be given out in small portions. This is the richest cake recipe I make.

I have to report that I have tried very hard since eating some of this cake to lose the pounds by pounding up a hill or three.  It was the Keswick Mountain Festival over the last weekend and I was helping out with leading some of the walks, not fit enough to lead myself yet though as my ankle is still not 100%.  It was five hard days up the mountains for DH so he had the lion's share of this cake to himself. I did go out on the worst day though when the gales on the top reached 70 miles an hour, it was so bad on one particular ridge that I and one of our clients were blown sideways by the wind and another leader (a man) was blown off his feet. So today I am resting and I need to as it was very hard on the muscles.....If you need further proof of how tiring it all was, well here it is, Bella on the Langdale Pikes walk; day 3.

Happy New Year 2010

You can't beat a Pavlova for parties and this was one I made earlier this week, eaten into of course, they don't last 5 seconds in this house.......

Recipe for my foolproof Pav follows:-

5 egg whites always free range and I use large ones
8 oz caster sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon corn flour

that makes the meringue and then it's up to you for the filling but double cream and Greek yoghurt in equal quantities work well and then add fruit of choice and sprinkle on grated chocolate or icing sugar.

4 oz double cream (you can use more)

4 oz Greek yoghurt (again how much you use is up to you)
fruit
chocolate or icing sugar


Method

Place egg whites in a spotlessly clean bowl and don't allow any yolk in there, then beat like hell until stiff.
I use a mixer. Once the white foam has turned into ripply looking folds and the mix is stiff (some people even turn the bowl upside down to see if it moves - they like to live dangerously ha ha...) -  add the sugar in 3 goes and beat in between additions.  Lastly beat in the corn flour and then beat in the vinegar. Spoon onto an oven proof container (I use a flat greased pizza tin) make a rough circle with a hole in the middle.
Bake at 180 deg for only 5 minutes until it just starts to turn slightly brown on the peaks of the meringue, then lower the temperature to 120 deg and cook for another 50 to 55 minutes. The thing is you are now very slowly setting the meringue.

Whip the cream until thick but don't over whip so it goes hard looking, then fold in the yoghurt. Spoon half into the hole in the centre and put half into a piping bag with a large star nozzle. Then pipe it in a swirly ring around the top of the circle of meringue. Decorate with fruit however you like, then sprinkle on the chocolate or sieve on the icing sugar. Enjoy as soon as possible.

Lastly, Sarah Payne one of the Advent Bloggers who did all the days, good show Sarah, is having a celebratory give away of some lovely yummy silk paper making goodies, beads and other stuff, so if you go to her blog you can enter to try and win the freebies.  I am going to go there now before the rest of you do...............
http://sarahlpayne.blogspot.com/

I hope you win, and have a happy and peaceful 2011.

Recipe for Cumberland Sausage Rolls Plus...

I have not put a recipe on this blog for so long that I am feeling guilty, so I decided to have a change and put on a special.

Well actually its one of our chefs from Keswick, Cumbria where I live. His name is Peter Sidwell and he has just been given a tv series called  'The Lakes on a Plate'.  This is the link to the proggy.  http://www.channel4.com/programmes/lakes-on-a-plate/4od#3120253

But be aware that this is about 25 minutes long because the proggy is not just recipes for sausage rolls, soup, and calzone but a little bit of history about The Lakes too and stunning photography.  You will see Peter go up one of the guided walks which I do as a Mountain Leader and its called Haystacks. It was a favourite of Alfred Wainwright who is one of my heroes.

As it is broadcast on channel4 it does contain some adverts but that is a small intrusion on an otherwise good programme. I hope you enjoy it. One other thing it is only available to view for about another 24 days so if you want to see it don't hang about.

If you just want the sausage rolls recipe try here http://www.channel4.com/food/recipes/chefs/peter-sidwell/sausage-rolls-recipe_p_1.html

Ice Cream Week

I heard on Radio Cumbria this morning that it is ice cream week and as the sun is shining at the moment it seemed a good idea to make some.  The only trouble is that I am going to Skye on Friday for 6 days to climb some more mountains so we need to eat it all quickly, but that is not a bad idea....

My Philips Ice Cream Maker (above) needs it's disc putting in the freezer for about 24 hours to get really cold. So I will have to leave it in the freezer compartment of my fridge until tomorrow. (I don't have a freezer.) Meanwhile I have just put some rhubarb on to stew so I can try a recipe I found today on the web. Here is the website which seems to be the place to find loads of inspiration for yummy recipes.

http://www.ice-cream-recipes.com/

There is also a blog here http://blog.ice-cream-recipes.com/

Bella loves it when I make ice cream and she hangs around in the kitchen with her nose in the air sniffing away. I hope she can wait until tomorrow....

At last one of the recipes

I actually managed to make some fresh Lemon Curd today as he ran out a couple of days ago and breakfast was not quite the same. So I found time whilst cooking the dinner to make some more.

LEMON CURD
4 large lemons or 5 smaller ones (if they are waxed wash them first in very hot water)
4 oz unsalted butter
8 oz caster sugar
3 large free range eggs or 4 medium ones

I like my lemon curd to be rather tart so add more sugar if you have a sweet tooth.
Into a large bowl, which fits inside a saucepan with an inch of water in the bottom, place your lemon zest. I have a tool which I scrape down each lemon and the strips of zest come off easily. Next cut each lemon in half and  squeeze out the juice and add it to the zest. Cut up the butter into half inch pieces and place into the lemon.
Heat the saucepan and stir to melt the butter. When it is melted add the caster sugar and stir again. Beat the eggs together in a jug and add these to the mix last. Now you must stand over this pan and keep stirring until the curd begins to thicken, it can take about 10 minutes or be quite fast depending on your type of bowl. I use a hand made pottery one which seems to heat up fast and retain the heat quite well, so it usually takes about 5 minutes.
Have ready some clean, strerilised, warm jars and when the mixture is thick, spoon it into the jars, wipe them clean if there are any spills and screw down the covers whilst still hot. This should result in a proper seal. To test the seal press the knob in the top of the jar, if it goes down and stays down all is well, if it pops back up then you don't have a proper seal and the curd will not keep as long. Usually I keep my lemon curd for up to 6 weeks in a cupboard, but once opened it must go in the fridge. Lemon curd does not keep as long as jam so try to make small batches about every 2 months or so. You can mix oranges and lemons too but I usually make sure the lemons predominate. Well that is how I make mine but I am sure there must be many wise cooks out there who do it all differently. Variety is the spice of life.

When it snows take comfort in food

Quiche is so easy to make that I wonder if it needs a recipe, but I made one yesterday and it was pounced upon almost immediately so maybe it is worth sharing it with you.

Ingredients
Shortcrust pastry (you decide how much you need)
4 free range eggs
4 rashers lean bacon
1 onion
4 -5 oz cheddar cheese
1 small pot double cream
some milk to make up to approx 16 fluid oz
freshly ground pepper black usually but white is ok

I make the usual shortcrust pastry but I always use unsalted butter because I don't like salty food and I never add salt to any recipe for pastry etc. I always bake the pastry blind using baking beads on some greaseproof paper to ensure the base is crisp. So I line the tin with pastry and prick the base and bake for approx 15 mins.  Meanwhile I fry 4 rashers of good lean bacon with an onion but not so it goes brown; just gently. I mix 4 free range eggs in a jug with a small pot of double cream (I am not too fussy about the cream quantity and usually add a bit of milk to it) The idea is to have about 16 fluid oz of eggs and cream so not quite a pint. Add pepper to taste.

Then I take the cooked base out of the oven and add half the grated cheddar cheese and then layer on the onion and bacon and add half the cream and egg mixture then add the last of the cheese and finally finish with the rest of the egg.  Voila, bake at 180 for 20 mins and then I lower the temp a bit to 170 and give it another 20 -25 mins. This all depends on your oven as you know they are all quirky....Mine has to have the quiche turned half way through otherwise it cooks one side quicker than the other. The tin is a 10 inch one. Oh by the way the photo shows I used up the left over pastry round the edge, I was not bothered about this because it was for us so know one would care and I don't like to waste pastry.

I made this every other day when we had the Derwentwater Restaurant and  I sometimes varied it by using different cheeses and adding other things like smoked salmon, courgettes, brocolli etc. I am glad that I do not run a restaurant anymore though, it was hard work. Anyway, the rest of the quiche is for lunch which won't be long now, and this posting has made me hungry, bon appetite.

Christmas Cake

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 stick butter
1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup of brown sugar
Lemon juice
4 large eggs
1 cup of nuts
1 bottle of wine
2 cups of dried fruit

Sample the wine to check the quality. Take a large bowl, check the wine again.

To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink. Repeat.

Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.

Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point it's best to make sure the wine is still ok. Try another
cup.... Just in case. Turn of the mixerer thingy.

Break 2 eggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.

Pick the frigging fruit up off floor. Mix on the turner.. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the wine to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift two cups of salt. Or something.
Check the wine. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table.

Add a spoon of sugar, or some fink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven. Turn the cake tine 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the window. Finish the wine and

wipe counter with the cat.

Bingle Jells!



Thanks to Sally for the above recipe, I have to say that I have not tried and tested this one.....But I will be pleased to read comments from any of you who try it with any success! Good luck.

Vicky's Boiled Cake Recipe

My friend Vicky was in Booth's yesterday and promised me a recipe, like a good sport she cycled round to the house today and popped it through the letter box.  I am having a day removing wallpaper from the ceiling, so to relieve the monotony (also the pain in the neck) I decided to make the cake as an experiment for you dear readers. 

So may I present the cake:-

This is Vicky's recipe

4oz margarine or butter  ( I used Rachel's organic unsalted)
4oz Soft brown sugar
12 oz Mixed fruit
1 Tblspoon water

Place in a saucepan and bring to the "boil" gently to melt the butter and plump up the fruit.
Remove from the heat and cool slightly, then add:-

2 eggs, lightly beaten
8oz SR flour (I sifted mine)  (plus cinnamon or mixed spices optional)
¼ pint water

Mix well, put into a lined 7 inch cake tin.
Bake Gas 3 for 1½ hours  (I placed mine in my Remoska and baked for 1 hour and 20 minutes.)
She notes that you need to cover with foil for the first 45 minutes then remove it if you have a fast/fan oven.
I covered mine with a tinfoil plate as the Remoska cooks from the top and can burn cakes easily.

You can also prick the cake all over when cool and add spoonfuls of your favourite tipple.
Vicky says she often freezes hers, I don't have a freezer, just a small compartment above the fridge, so I can't try that for you.  However the finished cake looks ok and I shall try it on DH later.......

Recipe as promised

We (Cumbria Patchworkers) enjoyed this cake on a sunny afternoon in Kirkby Stephen last month, so thanks for sharing the recipe with us Marilyn.


CHOCOLATE & COURGETTE CAKE

4 beaten eggs
150ml vegetable oil
130ml milk
300g soft brown sugar
350g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
75g cocoa
400g courgettes
1 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk eggs, oil and milk in a bowl then add sugar and mix well
Sift dry ingredients then fold into mixture.
Finely grate courgettes and stir into mixture with vanilla.
Spoon in to 20cm by 30cm or 2 X 18cm trays and bake at 190C, gas 5 for 40 mins or 30 if using two tins.

Icing
Beat together
100g butter
1 tsp van ess
250g icing sugar
Spread onto cake and dust with cocoa powder.

Time for a recipe

It has been a while since we had a recipe, so this one is included for those of you suffering from deprivation I wish I could claim the credit for it, but no, this is from Melanie who added the tip about Brandy; clearly she knows a thing or two.


CUMBERLAND CURRANT CAKE


Cumberland Currant Cake Recipe with Short Pastry, Mixed Peel, Currants, Mixed Spice & Sugar.
INGREDIENTS
Short Pastry
Mixed Peel, Minced
Washed Currants
Mixed Spice
Sugar

METHOD

Roll Short Pastry into an oblong strip 10 by 20 inches. Cut the strips into two 10 inch squares. Spread one square with washed Currants, undried, and sprinkle with Mixed Peel and Mixed Spice, then with Sugar. Brush the edges with water and cover with the second piece of pastry. Lightly press with a rolling pin, prick with a fork, and bake on a buttered tin in a quick oven (375F / 190C / Mark 5). Cut into four when cold.

TIP
Soak the currants first in Brandy or Liqueur for extra flavour.

Melanie also would like to have a demonstration soon on appliqué and its applications. If anyone else is interested in this subject just let me know with details so that I can progress this if at all possible in the near future.

I have done shadow appliqué for City & Guilds embroidery and also have used it on several quilts I have made but there may well be other applications which can be demonstrated too. As a rule I do machine appliqué but I am sure someone will know how to do hand turned as well. For instance one of the rainbow squares I photographed recently ready for sending off in July to the Summer School was hand appliquéd by Sally.





















This next square was machine appliquéd by me.





















So we may be a small group of embroiderers' but we are not lacking in knowledge or skills and I hope to be showing some more rainbow squares soon.

Rainbow Squares

Have you ever wondered what happens when you Google rainbow squares? Looking for inspiration for mine tonight I came across some good ideas (not for embroidery) and if any of you are keen knitters (I think some of you are judging by comments I here about going to woolfest) then this might be up your street. If it is, can I order a pair as I am not a good knitter.



windowpane-socks This will take you to a blog with 4 free tutorials on how to make them. The instructions for knitting and the photos are superb.

In return as well as paying for the wool, I promise if someone will knit me a pair that I will wear them up Scafell Pike and take a photo of them on the top.

Next up I found this recipe:-

RAINBOW SQUARES

8 ounces almond paste, shredded
1 1/2 cups soft butter
3 cups flour
30 drops red food coloring
18 drops green food coloring
9 ounces semisweet chocolate pieces
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons almond extract
6 egg yolks
6 egg whites
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/2 cup apricot preserves

Grease 3 (15 1/4 x 10 1/4 x 34-inch) cookie pans and line bottom with wax paper, letting paper extend over short sides. Beat egg yolks, almond paste, butter, and extract at medium speed until light and fluffy. With wooden spoon, beat in flour. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and mix with almond paste mixture. Blend well. Separate into 3 equal parts. Add red food coloring to 1 part and green to another. Spread red, green, and white batters into each of 3 prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes until edges are brown.

Spread raspberry jam on green layer, top with white layer, spread with apricot preserves on white layer, top with red layer. Cover, weigh down and refrigerate overnight.

Melt chocolate pieces in double boiler. Spread on cake. When set cut into squares.

Makes 7 dozen.

Well there you have it girls, socks and ever so scrumptious cookies.

Home is making a cake for DH

Hi All,

I suppose there comes a time when the DIY urge starts to wear a bit thin, and that is when DH bleets about no one making him a cake, so this is for him and also I promised you another recipe too, so I thought I would keep you all happy :-)

This is not my recipe for carrot cake as I have a favourite one of my own, but it came from that intrepid duo (Sally and Moira), not sure which one of them produced the sheet with the recipe on it, so I give credit to both. But I am baking it as I type. Just checked out the Remoska and all is fine with it rising nicely.


CARROT AND GINGER CAKE

Oven 180 deg C/350 F or use the Remoska this is the official website

Grease and line a cake tin. I used a 7" (fits the Remoska) but 8" is ok

Into a large mixing bowl put:-
8 oz plain flour
1 tsp baking powder (I used heaped)
3 tsp ground ginger
6 oz light muscovado sugar (I used Booths dark soft brown)
8 oz grated carrots
2 oz seedless raisins (I used Californian because my daughter lives there - sigh)

Mix this lot together

Into a small basin or pyrex jug put:-
2 medium eggs (I always use Lakeland Free Range Large - I used to keep chickens so I know a good egg.)
3 tbsp corn oil (No corn oil so I used melted unsalted butter)
juice of one medium orange (No orange could I find! so used a lemon)





Beat this lot

Next make a well in the centre of the mix in the bowl and pour in the liquid mix and mix it all together.....
Pop into the prepared tin and cook for 1/1¼ hours until firm to the touch and a skewer comes clean. In the Remoska I am giving it an hour and 5 mins. Here is the finished cake.



Cool in the tin





Enjoy DH.











I have also been looking around the web for tutorials which are free and came across one for appliqué at a place called prettily "The Picket Fence". You will find more tutorials under their side heading called TECHNIQUES and it is a lovely site for ideas.

Well the cake is cooked and cooling and we are going to take Bella for a walk this afternoon, then come back to tea with cake, so thank you Sally and Moira with apologies for adapting it when I did not have the right ingredients.


And this is what happened when we got back from the walk.

Somewhere in Keswick a duo sit stitching

Moira and Sally, those stalwarts of the needle, have been busy getting together on Wednesday afternoons to sew bits and bobs on the wall hanging. They have nearly completed the sides which are made up of various examples of embroidery techniques and they are just about to finish off the grey fleece which was chosen a) to show off the individual pieces and b) to give a flavour of Keswick with its town full of shops selling fleece jackets.

This photo captures them mulling over those last little details which have made the hanging come to life. It also provides them with cover, yes you guessed it, they wanted the photo of them shown on the blog with their heads down....I am only here to oblige, but I do have one of them smiling too for the record. Well done the pair of you, your Chairman is very pleased with the results of your labours and I know that everyone else in the Keswick EG will agree with me.

Meanwhile, Moira also came up with a very simple recipe.


POOR KNIGHTS PUDDING

Take two slices of malt loaf per serving
Fry on both sides in butter
Dip in sugar and cinnamon mixture to coat both sides
Place on a warm serving plate
Put a slice of canned pineapple on top
Lastly pour a little of the pineapple juice over all.


This I am assured is delicious and it is also a very old and well tried recipe which Moira has made for her family. Sally showed me that you can now buy 'Soreen' malted loaf in handy two slice packs. So there you are, no excuses; if you do try it please take a photo and send it to me for the blog.

More Dollies

I have just received another two piccies of dollies for the workshop from Gill Reid, so I might as well include them today and then you have them all, so first up is this cute little dolly.....



I just love the sweet little pink bow in her hair, and speaking of hair if you decide to make the cute dollies as opposed to the 'weird' fairy type of doll then you will need to remember to add some wool for her hair to the list of items needed for the workshop. Gill recommends about 50g per head of hair.

So next up is cute dolly number two....


I think dolly number two looks like a bit more of a swot.. I expect she will be liked by little girls or big ones who have ambitions. Love the freckles too. So now you have seen all of the options for the workshop, please don't forget to let Pat Knifton know if you are going to attend. It might also be a good idea to let Pat know which type of dolly you might be inclined to make as well.



BREAD (Kenwood Mixer style)

I have been making bread for many many years, probably over 30, and I always use my trusty Kenwood Chef as I started long before bread makers were invented or sold. The Kenwood does more than bread of course but its mainly used for that function and so here is my foolproof recipe.

Place in the mixing bowl one sachet of yeast, the type you buy for bread makers and then 1lb 2oz of flour. You can vary the type of flour as much as you like but if you use more wholemeal you may need slightly more water. So for instance you can use 8oz of wholemeal and 10oz of white, or something in equal proportions. I sometimes take an oz or 2 of flour out and add instead nuts and fruit or seeds or a mixture, even cheese sometimes. Next I measure out olive oil (usually 3 tablespoons), but sometimes 4 if I want a very flexible dough say for pizza and mix in with the dough hook. I leave this whilst I go and pour boiling water into a glass jug up to the quarter of a pint mark and then top up with cold water to the half pint mark. This is poured into the bowl and then mixed thoroughly and kneaded for a few minutes, this always depends on time but I find it does not alter the bread much, so usually for approx 4 - 5 minutes. That's it, you should end up with a dough which leaves the sides of the mixing bowl clean, if not you can add a little more flour and then mix again, but remember you should never add more water after the first amount so if it's too dry you may have used too much flour.

I leave this to stand in its bowl just covered up with a damp clean T towel until doubled in size and then I turn the machine on again briefly to knock back the dough. Once ready, you just place onto your tray, or into your bread tin or whatever and leave to rise for the second time. (Do oil the tin.) I usually bake this one loaf for 35 minutes, the oven must already be at temperature and that is on 210c fan assisted oven. You can divide the mixture into rolls and then they take approx 15-20 minutes. Tap the bread on the bottom and if it sounds hollow it is cooked.

Of course you can mix this bread by hand and sometimes I have had to or have added a couple of minutes kneading to the initial dough just for the sheer pleasure it brings. Nothing beats kneading a bit of dough for bread, all those frustrations can be put into good use ;-)

Bye the way, the lovely bread roll holder was made by Val Osborn, she knows a thing or two and if you want to know how to make it, just ask.