Practice makes perfect - Cheese Scones

In the interests of time-saving its been decided that, from Monday, I'll be in charge of scone making at Biz R, the cafe at which I'm baker/shopper/waitress/pot-washer/cleaner and general multi-tasker. Despite being a passionate amateur baker, I haven't made scones since Home Economics class at secondary school and in spite of a master-class from my boss, this new little challenge fills me with dread! Biz R's scones are insanely popular and I fear the scone devotees may well form a lynch mob if I mess them up! So in the interests of saving myself I thought I'd have a go at some cheese scones, a trial run if you like! As they say, practice makes perfect!

The recipe I used was from the classic Be-Ro book (bible for first time bakers) and can be found at http://www.be-ro.co.uk/recipe/showrec3.html

L
Xx

Vive La Khoo!

Lately I've been loving Rachel Khoo and her Little Paris Kitchen (shown on BBC Two at 8.30pm on Monday)

If you haven't seen it you've been missing out! The show follows Rachel as she ambles around Paris on her bicycle, buying baguettes, visiting patisseries and drinking teeny cups of coffee...oh and she cooks sometimes too!  

Six years, Croyden-born Miss Khoo moved to Paris to study patisserie at the famous Cordon Bleu cookery school and she never left! Now she runs the tiniest restaurant in Paris from her tres tres tres compact et bijou apartment in the trendy Belleville district! You can barely swing a cat in the kitchen but that doesn't stop Rachel producing some unbelievably yummy food...well it looks good anyway!

Lets be clear - Rachel's food won't win any Michelin Stars...but then again neither will Nigella's and it hasn't hurt her! Rachel and Ms Lawson actually have a lot in common - they're both about simple but sumptuous food! Rachel's Little Paris Kitchen is all about demystifying French food - using lovely fresh ingredients from the markets that seem to be around every corner to produced simple, gorgeous food. French cooking as the Parisian's apparently do it! Which all makes me want to move to Paris, don one of Rachel's numerous polka-dot dresses and buy a bike!



Rachel doesn't stop at demystify French classics, she also puts a lil British twist on them too. So Coq au Vin becomes chicken and vegetable kebabs with a Red Wine Sauce, Croque Madame turn in to little ham and egg muffins and Cassoulet becomes a duck meatball and haricot bean soup (above).

In between all the cooking, swanning about in markets and generally living an idyllic life, Rachel learns how to make the perfect baguette from Parisian master bakers, buys special stinky cheese from top fromageries and makes her very own choccy bar in one of Paris' top chocolateries. Wonder if she'll swap lives with me?

Just in case the lovely Miss Khoo doesn't feel like moving to Northern England and writing my Master's dissertation for me - I'm going to continue my quest for domestic goddess status and attempt her super chocolatey Mousse au Chocolat for Easter Sunday dessert. If I'm feeling really brave I might even try her choux pastry Chouquettes...watch this space :)

Xx

New shoes, baking, art and general waffle

A VERY belated Happy New Year!

So I know I've been an unbelievably lazy blogger of late...actually since December! An evil dissertation proposal and the general hectic-ness of the festive season are my only excuse...I started 2012 with the best of blogging intentions...

I intended to post about Sherlock and the general amazingness of Benedict Cumberbatch (His name for a start!)

...the gorgeous new Jo Malone Blue Agava & Cacao Cologne (A Christmas present from my very generous Mama)


...the beautiful BBC adaptation of Sebastian Faulks Birdsong (loving Eddie Redmayne and Clemence Posey)

 my bargain January sales mini haul (courtesy of Urban Outfitters and Topshop) ...and Lorraine Pascal's yummy White Chocolate Fudge Cookies and Nigella's scrumptious Carrot and Walnut Cupcakes (just some of the goodies I've been baking!) I'm afraid they were demolished before photographic evidence could be taken! 

Alas...somehow I never quite got around to any of that! But today I'm getting back on the blogging-bandwagon...

Introducing my latest ASOS purchase...gorgeously Spring-like lilac Hi-Tops...I must admit to feeling slightly Fresh Prince when I wear them, but who doesn't love that show anyway! Continuing my Spring wardrobe update, I spent last Sunday hacking up some old Tees...

A few weeks ago I went to a preview party at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art where they're currently staging two shows featuring the work of American artist Andrea Zittel and British artist Elizabeth Price.

Andrea Zittel's Lay of My Land is an exhibition of two half's. The main space focuses on Zittel's work at A-Z West in the Californian desert and the Utopian structures she calls 'Wagon Stations', which explore what humans need for survival in different ways...I'm going to admit that this is the kind of contemporary art that I don't get...however the other part of Zittel's exhibition is more up my artistic-street...

...these crocheted works, which include garments, pictures and streamer-like strands which loop across the room are beautifully and intricately constructed and speak of the baron desert environment in which they were produced!

 Here showcases Elizabeth Price's immersive video installations which use digital moving images, text and music. Again, I have to admit that I really have no clue what these works are about...User Group Disco could be about how we categorise objects and how everyday objects impact our lives...at least I thought so until Ah-Ha's Take On Me started playing and then I was lost again...Choir seems to be about the architectural features of a Church Choir, which I get...how that relates to an fire in a Manchester Woolworth's in the 1950s I don't know but it sort of doesn't matter! These works, shown in a pitch-black room with the volume turned up to the max, are totally immersive, surreal and disorientating...which I suspect is the point!

Lay of My Land runs until 20th May and Here until 27th May 2012 at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art.

And finally...cos I've waffled on enough...I went to see The Woman in Black last week...if, like me, you're sick of horrifically gorey horror movies and fancy less blood and guts and more truly terrifying scares then this is the movie for you...just don't go alone!

L
Xx

Happy Stir-up Sunday!

Today is Stir-up Sunday (the last Sunday before Advent) so-called because its traditional on this day to make your Christmas Pud! I know Christmas still seems a little way off...a whole 34 days (nearly 5 weeks) but this is the perfect time to make your pudding and allow all those yummy flavours to mature! Traditionally you're supposed to get the whole family in the kitchen as you make the pud, each one giving a stir and making a wish in turn, starting with the youngest. To honor the three kings you're supposed to stir from east to west but I'm afraid I don't own a compass and as my Pa was up a tree doing a spot of pruning at the time, only myself and my Mama had a stir!

As this is my first attempt at making a Christmas Pudding I thought I'd look to Domestic Goddess Nigella Lawson for a little guidance (sorry Delia!) I have a couple of Nigella's books including 'How to be a Domestic Goddess' and 'Nigella Christmas', both of which have slightly differing Christmas Pudding recipes! I couldn't choose between them and so cherry-picked my favourite bits from both (I think Nigella would approve), fingers-crossed it turns out ok!

Serves 10-16 as part of a Christmas Feast, 8-10 if not.

150g Currents
75g Sultanas
75g Raisins
150g Prunes, scissored into pieces
60g Candied peel
50g Glace Cherries
175ml Brandy, rum or Pedro Ximenez Sherry
100g Plain Flour
125g Breadcrumbs
150g Suet
150g Dark Muscovado Sugar
50g Walnut pieces
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 ground Cloves
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
grated zest of 1 Lemon
3 eggs
1 medium cooking apple, peeled and grated
2 x 15ml tablespoons honey

1x1.7litre/3 pint heatproof plastic pudding basin

• Put all the fruit into a large bowl along with your booze of choice, swill the bowl around a little, cover and steep overnight or for up to 1 week.

•  When the fruit have head their steeping time, put a large pan of water on to boil or heat some water in a conventional steamer, and butter your heatproof pudding basin, remembering to grease the lid too! Instead of making one 3 pint pudding I made one 2 pint for the family and one 1 pint pudding to give as part of a gift hamper.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine all the remaining pudding ingredients, not forgetting to let everyone have a stir and make a wish!
• Add the steeped fruit, scraping in every last drop of liquor with a rubber spatula, and mix everything thoroughly. Now's the time to fold in the traditional charms or (cola-cleaned) coins, as we've mislaid the traditional family silver threepenny bits and I'm not keen on the idea of pound coins in my pud, I left the hardware out!
• Scrape and press the mixture into the prepared pudding basin (basins) put the lid on and cover with a layer of tin foil, If your basin doesn't have a lid, just cover with a double-layer of baking parchment tied with string and then cover with a layer of tin foil. Then either put the basin into the pan of boiling water (to come half way up the basin) or in the top of a lidded-steamer and steam for 5 hours for a 3 pint pud or 3 hours each for a 2 pint and a 1 pint, taking care not to let the pan boil dry...like I did :s

• When you pud has had its time, remove gingerly, unwrap the foil and put the pudding somewhere out of the way until the big day.
• On Christmas day, re-wrap the pudding(s) in foil and steam again for a further 3 hours. To serve, remove from the pan or steamer, remove the lid, put a plate on top and up end, giving the plastic basin a little squeeze to release the pudding and voila...hopefully!
• Its traditional to flame the pud at the table with warmed brandy (Nigella suggests Vodka) but feel free just to dig in, I'll be having mine with brandy-spiked white sauce (traditional in County Durham, UK) but any sauce you like is acceptable...my Daddy loves his with slightly unconventional custard!

My puds are now safely tucked away in the garage, I'll post an update as to how it tastes post-Christmas feast...probably post-nap too!)
Xx

It’s that time again…already!

Around this time every year I have a lil’ tradition…I bake a Christmas cake! Not just any Christmas cake, this is my Nana’s Christmas cake! I’ve been making it for as long as I can remember, first with my Mama’s help and now all by myself and though I’ve tweaked it over the years, I always stick to my Nana’s same basic method because its fool-proof and my family and friends love it! And there’s another reason…my Nana passed away 4 years before I was born. She was, I’ve been told, a born homemaker and a wonderful baker! The recipe I work from is in her own hand and making this cake, following her recipe, makes me feel close to her! I guess that’s the emotive power of food – it can be comforting, it can cheer you up, make you feel nostalgic or in this case, become a family tradition that’s passed down through generations…the fact that it tastes yummy doesn’t hurt either!

Enjoy!

Xx

Ingredients:

5oz (140g) Softened Butter

5oz (140g) Soft Dark Brown Sugar

3 Medium Eggs

6oz (170g) Plain Flour

¼ tsp Salt

1 tsp Mixed Spice  

1lb (450g) Mixed Dried Fruit

2oz (50g) Glace Cherries

1oz Candied Peel

1oz (25g) Flaked Almonds

Grated Zest of 1 Orange

1 tbsp Brandy

1 tbsp Water

Method:

•    Put all of the dried (inc. the glace cherries and mixed peel) in a large saucepan, add the brandy and the water. Bring to a gentle boil then allow to cool before covering. Leave for 24 hours. Don’t forget to allow the eggs and butter to come to room temperature.

•   Pre-heat the oven to 125°c. Grease and line your tin with grease-proof paper or baking parchment, I use a 15cm square tin but a 20cm round tin would work too,  just make sure that the grease-proof is twice the height of the tin.

•  Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs one at a time with a tablespoon of sieved flour, beating well between yet addition.  Sieve in the remaining flour, along with the mixed spice and the salt - just fold in, don’t beat.

•    Stir in the soaked fruit, almonds and grated orange zest until combined.

•   Pour into the lined tin, making a hollow in the centre. Bake in the middle of the oven on 125°c for 1hour, then reduce the temperature to 115°c for a further 1 hour 30 minutes before reducing the temperature to 100°c for a final 1 hour. By now the cake should be golden brown and firm to the touch.

• Remove from the oven and allow to completely cool in the tin (if the cake has cracked cover with a damp cloth). Once the cake is cold, remove from the tin, wrap in tin foil and store in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to decorate…I usually ice mine on Christmas Eve. For an extra moist and yummy cake, prick holes in the top with a needle and ‘feed’ the cake with brandy or sherry once every few weeks in the run up to Christmas. 

P.S. I tweaked my cake this year by adding 1oz each of ready-to-eat Dates and Prunes to the fruit mixture and I topped up the brandy when soaking the fruit – 200ml…not sure my Nana would have approved of that! I also added a tablespoon of Black Treacle and ½ teaspoon of Almond extract after I creamed the butter and sugar but before adding the eggs. Finally I used Walnuts and Hazelnut as well as Almonds, still only 1oz in total and added ½ oz of finely chopped stem ginger. These are all purely optional and the original recipe makes a wonderful cake and makes the house smell deliciously festive!