Plum & Apple Crumble (with Amaretto)

I have previously expressed my great love for the humble crumble, so for fear of becoming repetitive, I shall merely say that this was very much a dish that I threw together with ingredients that I had hanging around my kitchen.

I had a few plums and a couple of cooking apples and I wanted something warm and comforting to serve on what was a miserable, rainy day (is Spring EVER going to come??) and this is what I decided to make… And very tasty it was too!

Almonds seem to have a natural affinity with many stone fruits so I decided to use some ground almonds in the crumble mix, but I also added a good glug of Amaretto to the fruit mixture. Somehow the almond flavoured liqueur made the plums taste even more of plums. That sounds a little daft, but try out this recipe and you will see what I mean. I was particularly pleased that I decided to strew a few flaked almonds over the top of the crumble, because these became slightly toasted whilst the crumble was baking and added a very pleasing crunch and a lovely contrast to the softness of the baked fruit.

I could pretend that great thought and planning went into this dish – but it didn’t. It really was made up of ingredients that I had hanging around and was made because I had a hankering for something nice to eat; - something that wouldn’t require complex processes and could be produced fairly quickly and easily. But this is what cooking in the home should be about… really delicious tasting food made with love and care from simple ingredients.

Ingredients:

8 plums, stoned and cut into quarters
2 large cooking apples, peeled core and cut into small chunks

50g caster sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

50ml Amaretto

50ml water

Crumble:

250g plain flour

140g butter, cubed

140g Demerara sugar

30g ground almonds

A large handful of flaked almonds
 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan Oven 160C/ Gas Mark 4.
2. Mix the plums, apples, sugar and cinnamon together and place into a 20cm x 28cm x 6cm deep (approximately) oven-proof dish. Sprinkle over the Amaretto and water and set aside while you make the crumble.

Crumble:

3. Put the flour into a large mixing bowl and rub in the butter. You do not have to be too fussy about rubbing in every bit of butter as a few flakes remaining actually create a better, lighter crumble. Mix through the sugar and ground almonds so that they are well distributed. Pile this mixture evenly on top of the fruit mixture and sprinkle the flaked almonds on top of the crumble.

4. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 35-45 minutes, until the crumble is golden brown and the fruit juices are bubbling around the side of the dish.

5. Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, but serve whilst still warm with lightly whipped cream, custard or whatever takes your fancy.

Serves 6.
 

Japanese-style Beef Salad

There are times when I want to eat something fresh tasting but something that is also satisfying at the same time. This salad fits the bill perfectly; the vegetables are fresh and crunchy and the barely seared beef adds something more substantial so that you are not feeling hungry again, half an hour later.

The key thing about this salad is that you really do need to use quality beef… and not just any old cut;- it has to be fillet steak. Fillet steak can be shockingly expensive, but as you don’t need a huge amount of it, it is an affordable dish and one that you can treat yourself to every now and again.

At a fundamental level this salad is really a play on the classic Italian dish of Beef Carpaccio but with Asian/Japanese inspired flavours. I remember the very first time that I ever tried Beef Carpaccio. Many years ago I was invited out to dinner by clients of the company that I worked for at the time. I was easily impressed in those days and thought that my fellow diners were terribly stylish and urbane. I can remember wanting to make an impression on them…or more truthfully, I just didn’t want to make a fool of myself!
 

Beef Carpaccio was ordered as a starter for the table. I was horrified when it arrived… the meat was RAW, but not wanting to appear naïve and unsophisticated, I tentatively ate some. What a revelation! Yes the meat was uncooked, but it had been so thinly sliced and served as it was, at room temperature, you could really taste the fantastic flavour of the meat. In every sense it was dish that celebrated the wonderful quality of the beef that was used. I relay this story mainly because I personally learnt a very important lesson that day; which is to try everything at least once and not dismiss something without having sampled it first. So, if you baulk when reading through my recipe below, remember my story.

We are so lucky here in Ireland because we have some of the best beef in the world readily available to buy… so try this recipe and rejoice in the quality of some of the best that Ireland has to offer… as I always say there has to be some pay-back for all the rain we get… and there is – wonderful green pastures on which our cattle can feed and which contribute to the excellence of our beef.

I am going to hold my hands up now and say that I am not a particular fan of raw chillies – but they work here, creating welcome warmth in the mouth with what is essentially a cold salad, and whilst I think that you can easily vary the vegetables used, it is recommended that you don’t exclude the chillies.

 

Ingredients:

100g fillet steak
Salt & white pepper
Salad:

1 small carrot, julienned

2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and julienned

A handful of thinly sliced red onion

2 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced

½ courgette, cut into 5cm long julienne strips

½ green chilli, thinly sliced into strips lengthways
½ red chilli, thinly sliced into strips lengthways

A few leaves of fresh coriander

Dressing:

1tblsp olive oil

1tblsp light soy sauce

2tsp rice wine vinegar
 

Method:

1. Place a griddle pan over a high heat and allow to get very hot.
2. Season the outside of the beef with salt and pepper and then sear for about 20 seconds on each side until golden brown. Immediately remove from the pan and set aside to cool completely. When cool wrap the beef tightly in cling film and refrigerate for at least one hour.
To assemble:

3. Toss the salad ingredients loosely together in a small bowl and place a small mound in the centre of the serving plates.

4. Remove the cling-film from the beef and using a very sharp knife, slice into the thinnest slices that you can. Arrange the beef slices on the plate around the salad.

5. Using a small hand whisk, mix the salad ingredients together and drizzle a little over the salad and the beef.

Serves 2.     

Matcha Madeleines

Classic madeleines are simple flavoured little French cakes, which are readily available to buy in food shops, supermarkets and bakeries all over France. The first time that I ate them was from a pack that I had bought in the local supermarket when visiting Perpignan in south-west France. Even though I had read all about madeleines and had noted the literary references courtesy of Proust and others, I really could not see what all the fuss was about. Whilst I did not dislike them, they also did not make me go “wow”. I was under-whelmed to say the least!

I was determined not to dismiss them completely, partly because I was just so seduced by their beautiful scalloped shapes and so wanted them to be something that I could be mad about. Therefore when next confronted by them in a small bakery in Matisse’s old stomping ground of Collioure, I decided to give them another try. How different these madeleines were. They were light in the mouth, but with a close crumb and most importantly they were absolutely delicious. I was hooked. On my return home, I immediately bought myself a madeleine tray and have been experimenting with different flavour combinations ever since.

At their simplest, madeleines are made from a classic genoise cake batter and as such are easily adapted to include other flavours.

 

I have recently discovered the joys of Japanese food and being a tad obsessive about such things; I purchased a number of different books and magazines on the subject and have been joyfully experimenting with the different recipes and tastes that the cuisine has to offer. One ingredient that was regularly referred to, in almost reverential terms it has to be said, was matcha green tea powder. On researching further I noted that the powder was most commonly used in desserts and in baking in Japan. Scientists and nutritionists extol the benefits of green tea and it is considered by many to be a super-food. What really intrigued me was the colour that it gave to those dishes in which it was included. It was just so GREEN! I had to get my hands on some and sample it…
 

Acquiring the powder was not as easy as I thought it would be and it was also expensive. However, it really is an ingredient with a taste unlike any that I have ever come across before or have ever used in my cooking and baking; so, to me, it was worth the money that I spent. Also, I should point out that a little does go a long way.

 

The taste is slightly bitter but not excessively so. I actually quite liked it, particularly when coupled with the white chocolate that I decorated these madeleines with. A whole new world has now opened up to me and I already have a number of ideas that I am really keen to try out. This is one of the things that I love about food and cooking – it is so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that there’s nothing that could surprise you anymore, but then you discover a new ingredient or try something familiar, used in an unusual way and it re-awakens your child-like enthusiasm for cookery…and for life, once again!
 

Ingredients:

For preparing the madeleine trays/tins:
15g-25g butter, melted
Some plain flour for dusting the trays

Cake batter:

2 large eggs

65g caster sugar

Finely grated zest of half a lemon
80g plain flour

1½ tsp matcha green tea powder

55g butter melted and allowed cool to room temperature

To finish:

75g white chocolate, melted

A little matcha green tea for dusting
 

Method:

1. Generously grease two madeleine tins with melted butter and then using a sieve, dust with a little plain flour, tapping out any excess. Put the buttered tins in the fridge to allow the butter to harden.
2. Using a hand-held electric mixer, beat the eggs, caster sugar and lemon zest together in a medium sized mixing bowl, at a high speed for about five minutes or until the mixture doubles in volume and becomes paler in colour.
3. Sift the flour and green tea powder together and fold into the egg mixture using light movements but ensuring that no “pockets” of flour remain. Drizzle in the melted butter and fold into the batter thoroughly. Cover the mixing bowl with some cling film and refrigerate the batter for at lest an hour, although overnight is also ok.

4. When ready to bake the madeleines, preheat the oven to 200C/Fan Oven 180C/Gas Mark 6.

5. Spoon or pipe the madeleine batter into each indentation on the madeleine tray. The batter should three-quarters fill each indentation. Bake in the preheated oven for about 8 minutes until the madeleines are well risen with a characteristic hump in the middle. Remove from the oven and immediately tap out the madeleines onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

To finish:

6. Half dip each madeleine (at the scalloped end) into the melted white chocolate. Place on a wire cooling rack and allow to harden. I put a sheet of baking paper under the rack to catch any chocolate drips. Before the chocolate hardens completely, dust with a little green tea powder.

 
Makes 24 - 28 madeleines depending on size of moulds.

     

Valentine's Day Jammy Dodgers

I was extremely pleased with these biscuits which I made to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day on 14^th February. The shortbread was beautifully crisp and delicately flavoured with lemon zest, which set off the raspberry jam centres of the biscuits just perfectly. These are seriously tasty biscuits and are easily adapted so that they do not have to be made for Valentine’s Day only. I have made the same biscuits with letters of the alphabet cut out of them to represent the initial letters of recipient’s names;- particularly popular for birthday parties.

I particularly like the raspberry and lemon combination but you could rework these flavours by including spices such as ginger, nutmeg or cinnamon in the biscuit dough and sandwich them together using different flavoured jams, curds or marmalades. Although I haven’t as yet tried it, I think that some ground ginger added to the dough would be especially delicious, and the finished biscuits sandwiched together with some homemade lemon curd. As with many of the recipes that I give, I recommend that you try the basic recipe first of all and then subsequently adapt it to reflect your own tastes.

Do try to use a good quality jam with a high fruit content as you really want the fruit flavour to shine through. Although you don’t absolutely have to sieve any seeds out of the jam, I really do think that it makes a difference to the finished biscuit and, as it only takes a few minutes, I advise you to do so.

Even though I am a fan of the commercially produced Jammie Dodgers with their cherry flavoured centres, these biscuits are truly wonderful and a world removed from any mass-produced versions that you could buy.

The filled biscuits were still crisp the day after I made them, so their keeping qualities appear to be very good. Honestly though, this isn’t really an issue as these biscuits are usually wolfed down very quickly by my gang… but this is what cooking and baking should be all about…feeding and creating delicious food and tasty treats for the people you love!

For me cooking and baking is a way of expressing my love for those people closest to me and I get so much pleasure from seeing those I care about enjoy the foods I make; and never more so than on St. Valentine’s Day!

 

Ingredients:

225g butter, softened
125g icing sugar

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

2 large egg yolks

300g plain flour

For the centre of the biscuits:

115g raspberry jam

To finish:

Some icing sugar to sprinkle over finished biscuits
 

Method:

1. Using a hand-held electric mixer, cream the butter, icing sugar and lemon zest together until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and mix together to fully incorporate them. Using a wooden spoon mix in the flour, to form a soft dough.
2. Tip out the dough onto a lightly floured work-surface and knead briefly to bring together into a ball. Flatten the ball slightly, wrap in cling-film and refrigerate for at least an hour so that the dough has a chance to firm up.

3. Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan Oven 160C/ Gas Mark 4. Line two or three large baking trays with non-stick baking parchment and set aside.

4. Thinly roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured work-surface to a thickness of about 5mm. Use a 6cm – 8cm round cookie cutter to stamp out circles from the dough. Put half of the circles, as they are, on the lined baking trays. Using a small heart shaped cookie cutter, stamp out heart shapes from the centre of the remainder of the circles. Place these on the baking trays also.

5. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 10-12 minutes until just beginning to colour at the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking trays for about 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

To finish:

6. Put the jam in a very small saucepan and heat gently until it becomes a little runnier. Pass the heated jam through a wire sieve into a small, clean bowl and set aside to cool. Discard any seeds from the raspberry jam which have collected in the sieve.

7. Sprinkle icing sugar evenly over the top of the biscuits with the hearts cut out of them.

8. Put a dollop of jam in the centre of the underside (the side that was against the parchment on the baking trays) of the circular biscuits and sandwich together carefully with the icing sugar dredged biscuits uppermost.

Makes 12-16 sandwiched biscuits depending on the size of the cutters used.     

Steamed Marmalade Pudding

This is the type of dish that is just perfect when you yearn for something warm and reassuringly comforting to eat after a hearty meal on a cold, wintry day. Steamed puddings have the reputation of being quite heavy to eat, but this one is surprising light and wonderful eaten with some lightly whipped cream.

I know that I have recently posted a number of recipes using marmalade, but the reasons for this are two-fold; firstly, I was extremely pleased with the marmalade that I recently made and as I have explained previously, I may have been a little over-exuberant with the quantities that I made, so recipes such as this one are a wonderful excuse to use some of it up and also showcase the versatility of this wonderful preserve.

Secondly, whereas once marmalade was a staple at the breakfast table in the British Isles – something tasty to spread on warm toast, its popularity has waned, to be replaced by a whole range of other foods, such as chocolate and hazelnut spreads, sugary mass-produced cereals, breakfast bars and other such things.

I have always loved marmalade and would hate to think that it is viewed merely as a culinary curiosity of yesteryear. Therefore, I make a batch of marmalade each year when the Seville oranges come into the shops and I also rejoice in some of the heart-warming and delicious recipes that use it. I am determined that marmalade shall retain a position of prominence in my household at the very least.

Although marmalade can be time-consuming to make, it is not difficult to do and everyone should try making it at least once. When they are in season, Seville oranges are relatively inexpensive; so, if you like the taste of marmalade, producing your own really does make sense. If care is taken when bottling the preserve, it can be stored for many months in a cool, dark cupboard.

The great thing about steamed puddings is that the cooking times do not have to be as precise as they are with baking and an extra half hour really doesn’t make much of a difference, as the steam in which they cook prevents them from overcooking or drying out. Whilst you can never go wrong serving pouring custard with any steamed pudding, I think that this one benefits from being served with lightly whipped cream. If preferred you can also serve with a dollop of crème fraîche; the slight acidity of which complements the faint bitterness of the Seville orange marmalade.

As seems to be my habit, I have included a splash of alcohol in the pudding batter with the inclusion of some Cointreau – an orange flavoured liqueur for which I have a great fondness. As usual, feel free to omit the Cointreau, substituting it for more orange juice.

 

Ingredients:

100g marmalade
100g butter plus a little extra for greasing
100g caster sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
100g self-raising flour, sifted

Finely grated zest of 1 orange

2tblsp orange juice

1tblsp Cointreau

Method:

1. Generously grease a 500ml capacity pudding bowl with some butter and spoon the marmalade into the bottom. Set aside.
2. Using a hand-held electric mixer, cream the butter and caster sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs gradually, mixing well after each addition Add in the finely grated orange zest. Next add the self-raising flour and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Finally mix through the orange juice and Cointreau.
3. Spoon the batter into the pudding bowl on top of the marmalade and smooth the top using the back of a metal spoon.
4. Place a pleated sheet of non-stick baking parchment followed by a pleated sheet of tin foil and secure around the top of the pudding bowl with tightly tied string.
5. Steam for approximately 2 hours. I use an electric steamer, but you can also steam it using more traditional methods, placed on an old upturned saucer in a covered saucepan of simmering water which needs to come half-way up the sides of the pudding bowl. Make sure to keep an eye on the water levels though and top up as required to keep the water levels fairly constant. Let sit in the bowl for about five minutes and then upturn onto a serving dish.

 

Serves 4.