Parsnip and sage scones with Stilton butter

December 12, 2022February 16, 2023 Belinda

Recipe c/o the Great British Chef’s website
Parsnips have a natural, gentle sweetness which works well in baked goods like these scones. We’ve combined the parsnips with sage for a festive spin, but you could also use other herbs such as thyme, chives or parsley. They are delicious served warm, piled with Stilton butter, and will keep well for a few days in a tightly sealed container.

16 oz self-raising flour
1 tbsp Baking Powder
1 oz caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
5 oz unsalted butter, softened
7.5 oz parsnips, peeled and coarsely grated
1 egg
1/2 pint whole milk

STILTON BUTTER
4 oz of Stilton, at room temperature
4 oz of butter, softened

Preheat the oven to 400F/gas mark 6
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add the butter, rubbing it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs
Add the grated parsnips and stir them into the flour and butter mixture
Add the egg and milk and stir again until just combined. Overworking the mixture will prevent the scones from rising as much, so stop mixing as soon as you have a shaggy dough. Add a little more flour if the dough is too wet to handle
Tip the dough onto a floured surface and gently roll or pat it out until it is around 1 in thick
Use a 2 in round cutter to cut out the scones, taking care not to twist the cutter as you push down. Instead, try to push the cutter straight down – this will help the scones rise better
Bake the scones for 12-15 minutes or until risen and golden. Remove them from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool

Make the Stilton butter by mashing together the Stilton and butter until well combined
Serve the scones with generous amounts of Stilton butter on top

Baking

Greek orange and honey syrup cake with yoghurt and pistachios

November 8, 2022November 8, 2022 Belinda

Recipe from Delia Smith
The sharp acidity of the orange in this cake combines beautifully with the sweetness of the Greek mountain honey.
Because the cake is soaked in syrup, you can make it well ahead and just whip it out when you’re ready to serve.

Serves 12

For the cake:
2 small oranges (weighing about 9 oz/250 g)
4½ oz (125 g) ground almonds
6 oz (175 g) well-softened butter, plus a little extra for greasing
6 oz (175 g) golden caster sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
9 oz (250 g) semolina
4½ level teaspoons baking powder

For the syrup:
8 fl oz (225 ml) Greek mountain honey
5 tablespoons orange juice
1½ tablespoons lemon juice
1½ inch (4 cm) cinnamon stick

For the topping:
7 oz (200 g) Greek yoghurt
1½ oz (40 g) unsalted, shelled pistachio nuts
2 tablespoons Greek mountain honey

*You will also need an 10 inch (25.5cm) round loose-based cake tin, greased, with a non-stick base liner

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F (not fan assisted)

First, cut the oranges into chunks, removing the pips.
Then tip the whole lot – flesh, pith and zest – into a food processor and whiz it to a thick purée. Now all you do is simply put all the other cake ingredients into a large bowl and, provided the butter is really soft, just go in with an electric hand whisk and whisk everything together until you have a smooth, well-combined mixture. After that, fold in the orange purée, spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top with the back of the spoon.

Now place the cake on the centre shelf of the oven and bake it for an initial 10 minutes. Then lower the temperature to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C) and bake for a further 40-45 minutes, or until it is golden brown, springy in the centre and has shrunk slightly from the sides of the tin.

Meanwhile, make the syrup. To do this, simply combine the honey and 5 tablespoons water with the cinnamon stick in a small saucepan, place it over a gentle heat, bring it up to simmering point and let it simmer gently for about 5 minutes. After that, take the pan off the heat, remove the cinnamon stick and stir in the orange and lemon juices. Leave the cake aside to cool for 5 minutes, then remove it from the tin to a wire rack to cool, with a large plate underneath. Make a few holes all over it with a skewer before pouring the syrup over it. (It will look like there is far too much, but don’t worry, the cake will absorb more than you think, and any that is not absorbed can be poured from the plate back over the cake.)

Then, when the cake is absolutely cold, place it on a serving plate, cover it and leave it in a cool place overnight. Just before serving, spread the top of the cake with the Greek yoghurt, sprinkle over the pistachios, drizzle with the honey and serve cut into chunky slices.

Note: This cake can also be made to serve 8-10, in an 8 inch (20 cm) tin, using 1 orange, 3 oz (75 g) ground almonds, 4 oz (110 g) each softened butter and sugar, 2 large eggs, 6 oz (175 g) semolina and 3 level teaspoons baking powder.

For the syrup, use 5 fl oz (150 ml) honey, 3 tablespoons each water and orange juice, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 inch (2.5 cm) cinnamon stick. For the topping, use 7 oz (200g) Greek yoghurt, 1 oz (25 g) pistachios and 1½ tablespoons honey.

Bake the cake for 10 minutes at the higher temperature and 25-30 minutes at the lower temperature.

Baking · Do-ahead · Fruit

Strawberry Summer Sheet Cake

June 21, 2022September 7, 2022 Belinda

Lovely recipe from “Smitten Kitchen”

SERVINGS: 12 TO 16

“This is a light update and scaled-up version of my Strawberry Summer Cake in the archives. In the original version, I suggest up to a 50% flour (here I’d suggest 1 cup) swap of barley flour, if you’ve got it. It’s not like other wholegrain flours, but much more silky and delicate. It has a subtle creamy, nuttiness goes well here.”

9 tablespoons (125 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) plus 3 tablespoons (40 grams) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons (8 ml) vanilla extract
3/4 cup (175 ml) milk, whole is preferred but all varieties have worked
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/4 cups (295 grams) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 pounds (680 grams) of the freshest, even a touch overripe, strawberries, hulled and halved

Heat your oven to 350°F (180°C).

Lightly coat the sides and corners of a 9×13-inch cake pan with butter or nonstick spray, and fit the bottom with a rectangle of parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat butter, salt, and 1 1/2 cups of the granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, yolk, and vanilla and beat until combined. Add milk and mix until (updated) combined; it may look a little curdled but don’t fret, it will smooth out in a minute. Sprinkle baking powder evenly over batter and beat into batter for 20 seconds longer than will seem necessary — this ensures it’s perfectly distributed. Scrape down the bowl. Add flour and beat or stir until just combined.

Spread batter in prepared pan. Arrange strawberries cut side down, as snugly as you can get them to fit. If you have extra, nudge them in anyway. Leave no strawberries behind. Sprinkle with remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar — it will seem like a lot but helps the strawberries get jammy and gives the cake a great texture.

Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out free of wet batter (gooey strawberries are a given and doesn’t mean it’s under-baked) — about 45 to 48 minutes. Let cool in pan on a rack. Cut into squares and serve as is, or with lightly sweetened whipped cream, if you’re Deb.

Do ahead: Cake is even better a half- to a full day later, when the strawberries marry with better with the cake. I like to leave the cake uncovered at room temperature so it doesn’t get sticky on top.

Baking · Do-ahead

ANZAC “biscuits”

April 22, 2022September 7, 2022 Belinda

ANZAC Day, celebrating the Australian and New Zealand Army Corp in the 1st World war, is almost here, which means it’s time to start making our favorite quick and easy “biscuit” of the year. This recipe is very close to the traditional version we all know and love, but with slightly higher amounts of coconut, golden syrup and butter, the end result is more chewy than crumbly.

1¼ cups (110g) rolled oats
1 ¼ cups (110g) desiccated coconut
1 cup (150g) plain flour
150g unsalted butter
¼ cup (90g) golden syrup
1 cup (220g) raw sugar
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Preheat oven to 180°C/350F.
Combine the oats, coconut, flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Set aside. Place the butter, golden syrup and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until butter melts. Bring to a simmer and cook for a further 1-2 minutes until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, cool slightly, then add the bicarb soda and 1 tbs water. Stir to combine, then pour over the oat mixture.

Using a wooden spoon, combine butter and oat mixture. Using 1 tbs mixture each, roll into 24 equal-sized balls. Divide between two baking paper-lined baking trays, leaving 3cm between each.

Flatten biscuits slightly, then bake for 10-12 minutes until the top tray is slightly golden. Swap trays and cook for a further 6-8 minutes until all “biscuits” are golden.
Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

Baking · Breakfast · Dessert · Do-ahead · Egg based · Gluten Free · Rice

Nigella’s rice pudding cake

April 3, 2022September 7, 2022 Belinda

From Nigella
“This is every bit as wonderful as it sounds: an Italian torta di riso, refracted through the prism of someone who loves a bowl of very British rice pudding. The Italians like to stud their rice cake with candied peel, bake it in a tin lined with breadcrumbs or crushed amaretti, and eat it cold; I sprinkle mine with nutmeg, and serve it warm, most frequently with a jewel-bright jam sauce. But it’s also lovely with poached fruit and I can’t help thinking it would be fabulous with a bit of golden syrup drizzled on top, too.

I’m very happy to eat leftovers cold, should I be lucky enough to get them (very much recommended for breakfast) but first time out, I feel, it must be warm, by which I mean to indicate a gentle warmth, rather nearer room temperature than hot. This means the cake is still quite tender, so I should caution you against trying to remove it from its base.”

Yields: 8-12 slices

¾ cup arborio rice
scant 3 cups whole milk
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 lemon
5 tablespoons soft unsalted butter (plus more for greasing tin)
3 large eggs (at room temperature)
⅓ cup superfine sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
nutmeg (for grating)

FOR THE SAUCE
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Put the rice, milk and salt into a heavy-based saucepan – I use one of 18cm / 7 inches diameter – and finely grate the zest of the lemon into it.
Over high heat, and stirring regularly, bring to the point where it looks like it’s just about to boil, though do not let it actually boil. Turn the heat down to low, and continue to cook the milk and rice for about 30 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the rice is cooked and the milk is absorbed. Keep an eye on it, as you don’t want the milk to start boiling, nor do you want the rice to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Take the pan off the heat, and stir in the 75g / 5 tablespoons of butter until melted. Scrape the contents of the pan into a bowl large enough to take all the remaining ingredients. Leave for about 1 hour to cool. Once it’s at room temperature, you can move on, so heat the oven to 160°C/140°C Fan/325°F, and butter a 20cm / 8-inch springform cake tin.

Separate the eggs, letting the whites fall into a large grease-free bowl (which could be the bowl of a freestanding mixer) and drop the yolks into a wide measuring jug (or a bowl). Whisk the whites until stiff, and set aside for a moment. Add the sugar to the yolks, and whisk – I use a balloon whisk with vigor, rather than an electric one here – until pale and mousse-like.
Add the vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons of juice from the zested lemon to the yolks and sugar, and then pour gradually into the cooled rice, folding it in well as you go.

Dollop a large spoonful of the stiffly whisked whites into the rice bowl and stir briskly to lighten the mixture, and then fold in a third of the remaining whites gently but thoroughly, then another third, and when that’s incorporated, fold in the rest. Pour and scrape this mixture gently into the prepared tin.

Grate nutmeg over generously and bake for 45 minutes; by then the top will have set, with no hint of wobble underneath.
Sit on a wire rack for about 1 hour, until it’s just slightly warm.
To ease the unmolding, slip a small spatula all around the edges, unclip the tin, and transfer the cake, still on its base (unless, like me, you don’t mind risking damage trying to remove it), to a flat plate.

Just before you are ready to serve the cake, gently heat the raspberry jam with the lemon juice in a small saucepan, giving it the occasional stir, during which time leave a suitable pitcher filled with hot water in the sink. When the sauce is hot, fill the warmed pitcher (obviously, emptied of its water!) with the garnet-glossy sauce.

Asian flavors · Baking · Do-ahead

Shirni Parwana’s masala carrot cake

March 31, 2022September 7, 2022 Belinda

Shirni Parwana shares their recipe for a carrot cake with garam masala spice, topped with cardamom and lime cream cheese icing. My sister made it recently and it turned out beautifully, although she said she would have not made it quite so sweet

Recipe c/o Gourmet Traveller Magazine

360g coarsely grated carrot (about 2 carrots)
360g caster (superfine) sugar (1 2/3 cups)
250g wholemeal flour (1 2/3 cups)
200ml vegetable oil
4 large eggs, at room temperature
70g sultanas (golden raisins) (1/3 cup)
70g pistachios, coarsely chopped (½ cup)
2½ tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground cardamom
2 tsp ground cloves

Caramelized pistachios
110 gm caster sugar (½ cup)
50 gm coarsely chopped pistachios

Cardamom and lime cream cheese icing
375 gm cream cheese, at room temperature
180 gm pure icing sugar, sifted
Finely grated rind of 2 limes, plus 2 tbsp lime juice
3 tsp coarsely crushed cardamom seeds

Preheat oven to 350F (180C) and butter and line a 20cm-square cake tin with baking paper.
Combine carrot, sugar, flour, oil, eggs, sultanas, pistachios, baking powder and spices in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on low speed until combined, then mix on medium speed until mixture becomes lighter in color (1-2 minutes).
Spread into the prepared tin and bake in the centre of the oven until the cake is golden brown, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre withdraws clean (1¼-1½ hours).
Leave in tin to cool (10 minutes), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely (2 hours). Halve horizontally with a serrated knife.

Meanwhile, for caramelized pistachios, oil a large flat non-stick baking tray and set aside. Heat a large frying pan over high heat and scatter caster sugar evenly over the base and toss occasionally until half-melted (2-3 minutes), then stir to remove any lumps until caramelized (1 minute). Pour into prepared baking tray, scatter pistachios over and set aside to cool (10-15 minutes), then coarsely chop.

For cardamom and cream cheese icing, combine ingredients in an electric mixer bowl, and beat until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Spread half the icing over the bottom half of cake, sandwich with the top, then spread remaining icing over the top. Scatter with caramelized pistachios and serve.
Cake is best eaten on the day it’s made, but will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two days.

Baking · Do-ahead · Nuts

Pistachio milk cake

March 21, 2022September 7, 2022 Belinda1 Comment

Recipe by Nadiya Hussain for the Sunday Times

“At its simplest, milk cake is a light sponge soaked in sweetened milk and topped with cream and eaten chilled.
It’s got the same soft, airy sponge as a “dulce de leche” cake, but this version is lightly scented with fresh cardamom seeds that have been crushed down to a powder. The milk has ground pistachio in it, giving it a lovely green nutty colour. Chilled to get it nice and firm and easy to cut, it is topped with fresh cream, a sprinkling of pistachios and a light zesting of orange for freshness.”

Serves 10

For the cake
4 eggs, separated
200g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 cardamom pods, pods open and seeds crushed to a powder

For the milk
100g shelled pistachios
100ml whole milk
410g evaporated milk
200ml condensed milk

For the topping
300ml double cream
1 tbsp icing sugar
50g pistachios, roughly chopped
1 orange, zest only

1. Heat the oven to 350F/160C (180C non-fan) and line the base and sides of a 20cm square cake tin. Set aside while you make the cake.
2. Add the egg whites to a bowl and start whisking. As soon as the mixture begins to get frothy, add 150g caster sugar one spoonful at a time, making sure to whisk well after each addition. Once the sugar is fully incorporated, you should be left with a mixture that is fluffy and glossy and stands in stiff peaks.
3. Put the egg yolks, remaining 50g caster sugar and vanilla extract in another bowl. Whisk until well combined.
4. Add the plain flour and baking powder and the crushed cardamom seeds and mix until you have a thick paste.
5. Add one third of the egg white mixture to the egg yolk mixture and mix till the thick batter has loosened. Now add the rest of the egg whites a third at a time and fold gently using a metal spoon to make sure you don’t deflate any of the air bubbles.
6. Once no longer streaky and fully incorporated, pour into the cake tin. Level off the top and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven and use a skewer to poke holes all over the cake so that it will more easily absorb the sweetened milk.
8. Place the shelled pistachios in a food processor and blend to a fine crumb. Add the fresh, evaporated and condensed milk and blitz until combined.
9. Pour all over the warm cake and leave to soak in. Once cooled enough, place in the fridge to chill completely.
10. When you are ready to serve, whip the cream with the icing sugar until you have soft peaks. Spread evenly all over the cake and sprinkle with pistachios. Grate over the orange zest just before serving. Store in the fridge if you are not eating it straight away.

Baking · Breakfast · Do-ahead · Grains

Irish Brown Soda Bread Scones

March 14, 2022September 7, 2022 Belinda

Recipe from SMITTEN KITCHEN

“Here is my replacement formula the Irish flour: 1 cup coarse wholemeal flour = 3/4 cup wheat germ + 1/4 cup wheat bran + 1/2 cup regular whole wheat flour. Yes, this appears to add up to more than 1 cup but germ weighs much less than flour. This will weigh 145 grams total.”

Serves 4
1 cup (145 grams) Irish coarse wholemeal flour (see Note above for swap; see Note at end for description)
1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (225 grams) buttermilk, plus another splash if needed
1 tablespoon (15 grams) unsalted butter, cold

Heat oven to 375°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine wholemeal flour (see Note up top for swap; see Note at end for description), all-purpose flour, salt and baking soda in a large bowl, whisking to combine.
Pour buttermilk over dry ingredients, then coarsely grate butter over the buttermilk.
Stir to combine into a thick, somewhat gloppy mass, slightly damper than your average scone dough. If it doesn’t come together, add more buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at time, until. (I need at least 2 extra tablespoons when using a thick brand of buttermilk.)
Dollop dough in four big mounds on prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until just lightly golden brown at edges and dry to the touch. Eat right away, split in half and spread with butter, jam, or chocolate.

** Let’s talk about coarse wholemeal (whole wheat) flour: The magic ingredient in most wholegrain or brown soda breads is Irish wholemeal flour. Irish wholemeal flour is coarse and gritty, high in fiber, and has a wonderful nutty flavor. It is not the same as our whole wheat flours here, which are milled fine and smooth, and I do not like the result when I use them as a full swap. Although I think I’ve come up with a solid copycat, it requires extra ingredients, which likely takes this out of the running for an easy breakfast baked good for others.
Here’s my advice: If you find you like these scones and want to make them more often, you could mix up a jar of my Irish flour swap and have it at the ready for your weekend mornings. Or, you could splurge on a bag of the imported flour. Prices range significantly (blame a supply chain crisis) but even when it’s overpriced, it is amortized over 56 scones, i.e. my favorite way to justify things.
Here are some places you can find the Odlums brand I use online: Amazon, Food Ireland, Mercato. It comes in Coarse and Extra-Coarse; both work.
Note: I know that King Arthur Flour also makes an Irish-style flour but it was out of stock when I was working on this recipe so I wasn’t able to test it. If it’s coarsely milled, you’ll be set.

Baking · Do-ahead

The ultimate coconut cake

March 7, 2022September 7, 2022 Belinda

This recipe is made from scratch, is full of bold coconut flavor and topped off with a coconut cream cheese frosting. This is the kind of cake that will wow everyone in the room.
Recipe by Food blogger, “The Stay at Home Chef”

1/2 cup salted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons coconut extract
6 large egg whites room temperature
1 1/2 cups full fat coconut milk
1/4 cup sour cream
3½ cups cake flour
4 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Frosting:
16 ounces cream cheese softened
1 cup salted butter softened
1 teaspoon coconut extract
3 cups powdered sugar
3 cups coconut flakes

Grease three 9-inch pans. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the butter, oil, and sugar together until smooth. Beat in coconut extract and egg whites 2 minutes until fluffy. Beat in coconut milk and sour cream until just combined.
Mix in cake flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined.
Divide the batter among the three prepared pans. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes. Let sit in pans for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before layering and frosting.
Make the frosting by using a hand mixer to beat cream cheese and butter together for 1 minute until light and fluffy. Add in coconut extract and mix until combined, about 10 seconds.
Slowly add in powdered sugar, one half cup at a time until smooth, mixing between additions.
Frost and layer cake with frosting and use coconut flakes to coat.