All hail the Sun God!

By Di Melling on May 8, 2013

A bank holiday weekend with a perfect weather forecast?

It is practically unheard of in this country. But it did appear in high definition and we certainly made the most of it.

The Bluebell Cafe spent a glorious day on Sunday at Dorney Lake at the Wallingford Regatta and I made this Lemon cake as an offering to the Sun God!

My hubby loves very dense and moist lemon cakes, so I switched my usual Lemon Drizzle's dry ingredients over to this one with ground almonds, polenta and a smaller amount of flour. It was delicious and using gluten-free flour made this suitable for people who are avoiding wheat and gluten.

If you want to give this a try, you could use any Lemon Drizzle recipe and substitute the regular amount of flour for 2 parts ground almonds, 1 part polenta and 1 part self-raising flour (or gluten-free SR flour).

 

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Maple Walnut Shortbread

By Di Melling on April 16, 2013

It's been too long…I can't even give you an excuse about why I haven't posted for so long. Sometimes life just gets in the way. I usually think that the first quarter of the year really drags, but for some reason this year has flown and I can't quite believe we are in April.

It's been a really long winter in England and everyone is dying for a little glimpse of Spring. Well we got it on Sunday, it felt like such a treat.

I had invited my brother and his girlfriend over for lunch but didn't even imagine that we would be eating outside. Such a treat.

I found a couple of new food blogs and had some recipes I wanted to try. For the lunch I made a lovely fancy Chilli con carne which I roughly followed from spoonforkbacon.com. She calls it Kitchen Sink Chilli as it has everything thrown in. With some bright Yellow rice (just a spoon of turmeric added) and some lovely colourful salads and it was the easiest and prettiest spread I have arranged for a while.

My brother brought some fruit and cream for the pudding to go with some biscuits I made from casualbaker.blogspot.co.uk. So the kids played in the garden, we kept bringing more tea and coffee out to go with the biscuits and the afternoon just sauntered along blissfully.

The shortbread biscuits were slightly adapted from the original because I thought they would be too sweet, but mine weren't sweet, so probably could have had a bit more maple syrup. So take a look at the original recipe too.

Here's my adaptation:

8oz unsalted butter at room temp

5oz caster sugar

3oz maple syrup

1 large egg yolk

16oz plain flour

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

1 tsp salt

6oz walnuts, toasted and skins rubbed off *see note

demerara sugar for rolls the edges approx 3oz

*Note, you might think it's not worth the bother toasting and rubbing, but it doesn't take long. Place the nuts on a baking tray and set your timer for about 8 mins…believe me you do not want to burn 6oz of walnuts, it will make you cry! As soon as they come out of the oven tip them into a hand towel and give them a little rub like you are trying to dry them. When you open the towel up you will see that quite a lot of the papery skin has come away. I didn't get picky and try and get it all off, so mine looked about half skin off and half skin on. It just lessens the bitterness.

Beat the butter and sugar until it lightens. Add the yolk and mix. Slowly drizzle in the maple syrup while beating. In a separate bowl combine the flour, nutmeg and salt and whisk together. Stir in the nuts *see note. Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture and slowly combine. You might think it will never go together, but if you go in with your hands it will soon stick together into a ball. Now lay out a big piece of cling film and put the dough in the middle. You now need to roll it into a cylinder shape and wrap in the cling. Once the cling film is on it you can roll it around a bit more to correct the shape. Now chill until firm, but you can leave for a couple of days in the fridge before you bake.

When you are ready to bake, take the log out of the fridge and put the sugar on a plate or board. Now roll the log in the sugar until it sticks to it. Slice into disks about 1cm or just under. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven at 350˚F, 180˚C for 10-15mins until the edges look golden brown and they feel firm to the touch. Cool on a rack. They will keep for a few days in an airtight tin.

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Brown Butter Blondies

By Di Melling on March 6, 2013

When I have a recipe that I depend on for a particular cake, say for Brownies, I tend not to bother trying out different variations/recipes. Once you have a good one in your library, why waste valuable baking time.

So I have a great shortbread I always use, I only ever do one type of Brownies and my carrot cake is rock solid. These are my "usual suspects". Last year I added Blondies to this A list of cakes and I am really happy with the Date and Walnut recipe that I have. But while scrolling through some other baking blogs I found this one for Brown Butter Blondies and something about it spoke to me. (The site was www.notwithoutsalt.com)

I made them for my husbands birthday and they were such a success that I decided to teach my girlie friends the way of the Blondie. These friends are always glad of a baking lesson and we hardly have time to fit them in these days, working round people's jobs and home lives. But today was Fiona's birthday, so a nice lunch together and a quick cookery demo was called for.

Here is the recipe as a reminder for them (as well as you!):

10oz butter (we used slightly salted and then didn't add any extra to the mix)

12oz self raising flour

13oz soft dark brown sugar

4oz granulated sugar

3 eggs (large)

2.5 tsp vanilla extract

 

Oven heated to 180˚C (160 for fan)

9 x 13" tin is lined with baking parchment

Firstly you need to melt your butter in a saucepan, but more than melting. We are going to keep cooking the butter until the bottom of the pan starts to brown. This is a slow process (about 15-20mins) so put the kettle on or have a little chat with your friends. You want the butter to slowly simmer, it will go a bit frothy on the top, that's fine. When you swirl the butter around in the pan and you notice the bottom of the pan has got little bits of brown on it, that's perfect (and don't worry it won't ruin your pan). Now leave that to cool slightly while you measure out your ingredients.

Put both the sugars in a large mixing bowl and add the brown butter. Mix together, now add the beaten eggs gradually along with the vanilla.

Now add the flour in about thirds and once it's incorporated add the next third. This will be quite a stiff mixture. You can now spread it out in your tin.

Bake for 30-40mins. It should be nicely browned and the centre will still be quite soft (but not wobbly). Cool on a rack where it will firm up a bit more as it cools. These freeze very well and are great slightly warmed up with a blob of ice-cream.

Serve with a gaggle of giggling girls and a big mug of tea (as this makes most things taste much better) xxx

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Fruit and Nut Cake

By Di Melling on January 20, 2013


That's a very non-specific cake title isn't it?

Well, I have been "off" baking since Christmas…not because I am trying to loose weight (although…) but I haven't had any events on and it has been a lovely little break from the usual kitchen routine.

But now it's snowing and all bets are off. I need the comfort and this cake is perfect for that. It is also very good at this time of year for using up any extra fruit and nut provisions you bought in for Christmas and didn't use up. As long as you follow the weights you can substitute just about anything. The actual recipe is from Dan Lepard's column in the Guardian and was for Hazelnut and Prune Cake. I made it last year as a Date and Walnut Cake and had intended to do this again, but didn't have enough dates. So it got mixed with some prunes too.

I also have to admit that being out of practice of baking has made me a little forgetful and although there were some ground almonds waiting on the counter, I sadly omitted them. The resulting cake is delicious, so it's up to you whether you leave them on the counter too!

Here it is:
100g softened butter
75g golden syrup
100g dark brown sugar
2 medium eggs
100g of nuts, I used walnuts, but pecans or brazil would be good too, chopped
75g ground almonds, or not, that is the question!
300g dates, or prunes, or a mix of the 2, chopped
125g plain flour
1 tbsp cocoa
1 tsp nutmeg, or mixed spice
1 tsp baking powder

Line a 7" loose bottomed cake tin with baking parchment and pre-heat the oven to 180˚C (160˚C fan).


Beat the butter, syrup and sugar together, until a bit paler and fluffed up. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then fold in the chopped nuts and dried fruit.

Sift in the flour, cocoa, spice, baking powder and ground almonds, if using.

Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth over the top. I added some extra nuts on the top, but that's up to you. Baking in the oven for 50 mins. Mine took about 10 mins longer because it was slightly wetter without the almonds. If you pierce the centre with a cocktail stick or skewer it should come out with only a few crumbs on.

Cool on a rack and enjoy with copious amounts of tea with newspapers scattered all around you…fleecy blankets are optional.

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Christmas

By Di Melling on December 24, 2012

I just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

I have been busy making mince pies and Christmas cakes for the last 2 months and my last customer has just picked up her order. So I am a free person once again!

Doing all my last minute jobs, but just enough time for a cup of tea and a mince pie with my husband. He's been waiting for me to make him some mince pies, after watching so many get boxed up for orders. You deserve it Phil!

He is such an important part of The Bluebell Cafe and he never gets the credit. So for one day only darling….Thank you for all your hard work, I couldn't do it without you! Love Di xx

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Danish Vanilla and Jam Cookies

By Di Melling on December 9, 2012

I read a lovely feature about Christmas in Denmark in the Telegraph a couple of weeks ago. I love reading about other country's holiday rituals and baking habits. They always seem so much more exotic. I think I can honestly say though, if I was spending any length of time in one of the scandinavian countries I would be as big as a barn!

I thought I would try these little cookies, because they look a little like something my children would like. Sort of like a "jammy dodger", but when I read the ingredients I thought they might be something beyond a child's cookie. The addition of a whole vanilla pod in the dough was a clue and also some potato flour which I was hoping would add that wonderful light crunch that then melts in the mouth…I was not wrong, these are amazing!

I served these alongside some mince pies at a coffee gathering, they did serve the purpose of a children's cookie, but when any adults did try them, there were moans of delight.

Notes on ingredients: If you don't feel like investing in potato flour, I think you might be able to substitute with cornflour, also I really hate the cost of whole vanilla pods, so have started buying something called Vanilla Bean paste, which is also expensive, but you can just take out a little at a time.

225g plain flour

60g potato flour (see notes above)

100g caster sugar

1tsp baking powder

1 vanilla pod (see notes above)

200g butter, cold

1 egg, beaten

raspberry jam, for filling

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl with a little pinch of salt. You can either scrap the vanilla beans from a whole pod, or do what I did and use 1tsp of bean paste. I rubbed the butter in by hand, but if you have a processor it will make for a quick job. So stick the dry ingredients, the butter cut into cubes, the vanilla and HALF of the beaten egg. Give it a blitz in the processor and it should all come up to a dough. This should be chilled for an hour, but I left for a couple of days until I was ready to bake.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, get your dough out of the fridge 10 mins in advance so you can roll out. On a lightly floured surface roll out to roughly 5mm thick and cut out shapes (it is best to find a cutter that you have a small version of, hearts, circles, whatever you have). Re-roll the trimming and keep cutting out until it's all used up.

With half of your shapes cut a smaller shape out of the centre, which will get filled with jam.

Now you will need the rest of the beaten egg. Paint a little egg on the whole shape side and press another cut shape on top. Place on a baking tray and then put a half teaspoon of jam in the hole. Lightly glaze around the jam centre with more egg wash.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200˚C (180˚C fan) for 10-12 mins. They will look golden brown (and smell wonderful). Cool on a rack and try to wait until you try one!

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Chocolate and Almond Cake

By Di Melling on November 22, 2012

It's been a long time…I apologise for not posting for a while.

I am knee deep in Christmas Cakes and Mince Pies, they are lovely and I love making them, I just didn't think you needed to see them all as they come out of the oven.

So today I take a little "break" from the production line to make my son his 13th birthday cake. I have always asked my kids what cake they want when it's their birthday. There have been some silly suggestions, some challenges and the betrayal I felt when my son asked for a "shop-bought" cake!

This year, I simply didn't ask. I was half thinking he would say he didn't want one or maybe he would ask for something ridiculous. So I just pottered away in the kitchen and came up with this little number.

It's from a book called Lucy's Food by Lucy Cufflin. It's a great book because she doesn't mess about with stuff. She was a chalet chef and now writes recipes for other chalet chefs to follow, so they need to be really easy but impressive. This cake is exactly that, it is her take on a Sachertorte, but simplified. Thanks Lucy, you have never let me down.

175g self raising flour

175g caster sugar

100g ground almonds

2 tbsp cocoa powder

125g butter, cut into cubes

2 eggs

4 tbsp golden syrup

150ml milk

In a mixing bowl, start with the flour, sugar, almonds and cocoa. Add the butter and rub it in to the dry mix. This is a bit like making pastry. If you are scared of the rubbing method, you could blitz this in a processor for a min. But what you are trying to do it distribute the butter through the dry mix and end up with a breadcrumb texture. People say everything has to be really cold for this , but I prefer something a bit softer, else it's hard on the knuckles.

Now in a jug, measure out your milk, then add the eggs and the golden syrup to it. Whisk about a bit and then pour into your flour mix. This is really the most unappealing mix at this stage, you will have little lumps of butter, but don't worry.

The tin you need is a 25cm loose bottomed tin. If you are a few cm each way it won't matter, but remember a deeper cake will need more cooking and don't go too much bigger, else it will be like a big biscuit! Line with a big circle of greaseproof, so there is enough to go up the sides (it will ruffle up but just squash it all in).

Now put in an oven at 350˚F/180˚C (160 fan) for 30-40 mins. It should be springy in the middle when cooked. Get out and cool on a rack then take out of tin and wrap in cling film until you are ready to ice. This can be kept for a couple of day like this.

The icing now gets poured over the top. I prefer a more fluid mix so I cut out quite a lot of the icing sugar, but if you want it to cling more to the sides you will need the full amount.

3 tbsp milk

100g dark choc, chopped

50g butter

250g icing sugar

In a pan melt the first 3 ingredients, then when smooth add the icing sugar (see above, I only used about 100g).  Pour over the top and let set (I left overnight).

Now add a selection of candles (mine are ones I have saved from the last 12 years of cakes) and an excited boy!

I think this needs a good dollop of pouring cream and then everyone will be happy. Happy birthday Edd xx

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Sticky Lemon & Poppy Seed Cake

By Di Melling on October 9, 2012

At last the sun is shining and I have enough light to photograph a cake!

Today I am making this lovely Lemon number. It's a good one to have up your sleeve for when someone pops round for tea. Why not make it and freeze half for unexpected visitors…you know the ones that only give you 30 minutes warning of arrival…don't look at me like that, you know who you are!

I am going to stick my neck out here and say this is "easy". It does still use the creaming method to mix the butter with sugar, but it also has some vegetable oil in it too, which I think makes that stage quicker and easier. There is a small amount of oatmeal in the mix, which does make a difference to the texture, making it wholesome without being stodgy .

Here it is:

225g caster sugar

125g unsalted butter, softened

100ml vegetable oil (I always use rapeseed)

finely grated zest of 3 lemons (mine were quite big, so I used 2)

4 medium eggs, beaten

50ml hot water

250g self-raising flour

75g oatmeal (not whole oats, if you haven't got, put rolled oats in a blender)

30g poppy seeds

Syrup

150g caster sugar

100ml lemon juice

Grease and line a 8 or 9" square tin

Beat the sugar, oil, butter and zest together until fairly smooth and pale. It won't "fluff" up quite as much as when you use butter and sugar alone. Beat in the eggs gradually.

Now mix in the hot water (how hot?…I don't know really, I boiled the water in the kettle when I was starting the preparations and by the time I was ready for it you could put your finger in it) followed by the flour, oatmeal and poppy seeds.

Mix this all together well and then pour into the prepared tin. The reason I said 8 or 9" is that I have tried both and it makes very little difference, one is just slightly deeper. So don't whatever you do go and buy a new tin for this.

Bake for 40-50mins, pop a toothpick or skewer in the centre of the cake and it should come out clean.

Use the toothpick to make lots of holes all over the cake and then pour the syrup over it. You will think it won't take all the mixture, but it will gradually absorb the syrup in its little drainage holes.

Enjoy some now for your tea and then pop a few pieces in the freezer for when you need cheering up through the winter.

Happy baking x

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Guinness & Treacle Fruitcake

By Di Melling on September 18, 2012

I have had my oven out of commission for a couple of days, due to a blown element (hazard of the job!) and haven't been able to do any baking. So today I got my fix with this fruitcake.

It is full of fruity, malty goodness. But it does look like the baddie in a gangster film. Darker than the night and it packs a punch, due to a goodly amount of crystallised ginger.

This cake was by far the favourite at last month's Farmers' Market, so it is going on the regular listing, but I am slightly reducing the ginger (I am a bit of a ginger wimp, it must be said) so hopefully it will be warming, without knocking you over!

Here are the ingredients:

375g mixed fruit (I did half raisin, half sultana)

150g prunes, quartered

200g chopped glace ginger (or cut down to 150g, if you are a wimp like me!)

500ml Guinness or other stout

200g butter

1 tsp each of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg (or I suppose you could do 3tsp of mixed spice)

200g dark brown sugar

175g black treacle

3 medium eggs

250g wholemeal or spelt flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

Pre-heat oven to 170˚C/150˚C fan and line a 20cm deep round cake tin.

Combine the fruits and ginger in a bowl.

In a large saucepan bring the stout to the boil and reduce it down from 500ml to 100ml. I had no idea when this was done, so I had a measuring jug handy and kept pouring the stout back in it to see how I was doing. It does take a good 15-20mins.

Add the butter and melt, remove from heat and leave to cool. Stir in the spices. Beat in the sugar and treacle then pour all over the fruit.

Stir in the beaten eggs. Sift flour and baking powder and mix altogether. Pour into lined tin and bake for 2.5 hours until a skewer or cocktail stick comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

Now just stand back and regard the dark goodness. Once it's cooled, remove it from it's tin and papers. It will keep well for a few weeks, wrapped in greaseproof paper and kept in a tin.

Enjoy x

 

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Ginger and Spelt Cookies

By Di Melling on September 7, 2012

I am knocking up this little beauty for the Maidenhead Farmers' Market which I am attending on Sunday.

This is quite a different venture for me – no coffee, no van! But I like a challenge and a proper cake stall (and by that I mean no cupcakes!) is always a lovely site to behold.

So these Ginger Cookies are really quick to make and I promise they are very easy too. Please have a go. The recipe if from Dan Lepard's Short and Sweet book, which I am gradually working my way through.

Here is what you need:

50g butter

50g golden syrup

50g stem ginger, chopped

50g caster sugar

50g soft brown sugar

1 egg yolk

150g spelt flour

1tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Get all the ingredients measured out and it's a quick throw together.

First, melt the butter with the syrup and ginger, add the two sugars, followed by the egg yolk and then lastly the flour, ginger and soda. Nothing to it!


You should have a firm dough. Which you can bake straight away or put in the fridge for later.

Take teaspoons of dough and put on a baking sheet with space around to spread. Bake in a pre-heated oven of 200˚C (180˚C fan ) for 7-8mins. They should be puffed up a little and nicely golden brown.

Cool for a minute on the tray and then transfer to a rack. They will sink back down when cool, but this is what makes them so lovely and chewy. The smell has filled the house, so that's the plus side.

Well, if you're in the area, please come and see me at the market, if not enjoy the recipe xx

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