Plum Tart

Plums are an underused fruit in my opinion and one that when baked and used in cooked dishes is truly delicious. This is really simple to prepare and like most of the recipes I gravitate towards and prefer to develop, speedy to make.

I prefer to eat it warm with a dollop of clotted cream or some ice-cream slowly melting as it hits the warmth of the tart, but it can be served cool. The base of the tart has an almost biscuit-y like texture but is not as short as pastry tends to be.  Because of this, I find that this tart is also delicious served with warm pouring custard and this is particularly welcoming when the weather is cold and wintry.

Almonds have a natural affinity with most stone fruits, so I have added a little to the sponge to give a subtle almond taste. To create slightly more cake like and moister crust you could substitute 50g of the self-raising flour for 50g of ground almonds…but it is up to you. I have previously experimented with the basic recipe using chopped hazelnuts sprinkled on the top and ground hazelnuts in the base. It was also delicious and there was something quite autumnal with this flavour combination.

The French really embrace the use of plums in their cooking, but we Irish tend to always resort to using apples as our fruit of choice when making tarts, pies and other fruit dishes. This really is a shame, because when baked, the rich fruitiness of plums is released and accentuated.

Other stone fruits such as peaches, nectarines or even greengages (technically a variety of plum) can be used in this recipe, but I favour the use of plums because I find their taste more complex and interesting.

Ingredients:

115g butter, softened
115g caster sugar
1 large egg

225g self-raising flour, sifted

1tblsp Amaretto

Topping:

3-4 plums, halved and stoned

6-8 blanched whole almonds

25g Demerara sugar

To glaze:

2tblsp apricot jam

1tblsp water

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan Oven 160C/Gas Mark 4. Grease a shallow baking dish (30cm x 20cm approximately) with a little butter and set aside.
Using a hand-held electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat again to fully incorporate.
2. Add the self-raising flour and beat in using a wooden spoon before adding the Amaretto and mixing in.

3. Press this mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, smoothing out with the back of a metal spoon if necessary.

4. Press the halved plums, cut side upwards on the dough and place a single blanched almond in the centre cavity of each plum. Sprinkle the Demerara sugar evenly over the surface. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the plums are cooked and the sponge is well risen and golden-brown.

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

To finish:

6. Place the apricot jam and water in a small saucepan and heat until just boiling. Remove from the heat and sieve into a small bowl to remove any lumps. Brush the sieved apricot jam mixture over the warm plum tart and serve immediately with some clotted cream or a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

Serves 4-6.     

Lemon Clotted Cream Cake

I am a complete sucker for lemon cakes and whenever I chance upon new recipes or variations on the theme, I feel compelled to try them out. I love lemon cakes and desserts and when made well, that perfect balance between the sweetness of the cake or dessert and the bitterness of the lemons is hard to beat.

Although I adore lemon meringue pie, tarte au citron and other lemon desserts, I especially love a well-made lemon cake. I actually prefer slightly austere lemon cakes and have a particular fondness for loaf versions, which tend to keep very well. At most I like them decorated with a simple lemon flavoured sugar glaze, gently drizzled over the top of the cake - with lemon cake, I feel that less is often more so I try not to overcomplicate them!

I have a couple of fail-safe recipes which I have been baking for years and which satisfy my quite demanding requirements regarding what the perfect lemon cake should be but I am always eager to try out anything slightly different.

The recipe that I give here is a slight variation on one that was recently included in the UK edition of Delicious magazine. From the start the recipe intrigued me as it did not contain any butter – given my passion for butter, I would normally consider this a travesty, but my concerns were somewhat allayed by the fact that it contained a generous amount of clotted cream instead.

Clotted cream can be hard to acquire in Irish supermarkets, but if you seek it out, it can be bought. Glenilen Farm, based in Drimoleague, County Cork produce, amongst a range of other dairy products, a particularly addictive tasting clotted cream and this is the one that I used for this cake. At 60% fat content, it is richly creamy and the perfect accompaniment to freshly baked scones smeared with homemade strawberry or raspberry jam as part of a traditional afternoon tea. I think it is a great product and one that I would strongly recommend, especially if it is used to bake this wonderful cake.

If you like lemon cakes and you also like simple, pure tasting cakes, you really must try baking this one – it is absolutely delicious and one that I know I will definitely make again and again.

Ingredients:

225g caster sugar
2 large eggs
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

225g clotted cream

215g self-raising flour, sifted

2tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, from the zested lemons (keep the rest of the juice)

To finish:

Juice of the zested lemons (see above)

45g granulated sugar plus extra for sprinkling
 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan Oven 160C/Gas Mark 4. Line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment and set aside.
2. Using a hand-held electric mixer, cream the sugar, eggs and lemon zest together until light and creamy and almost doubled in volume – this will take about 5 minutes.
3. Add the clotted cream and gently beat in to the egg mixture until fully incorporated. Add the sifted flour and fold in gently. Add the lemon juice and mix through.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes approximately until the cake is well risen and golden brown. Check the cake after 35 minutes or so and cover with tin foil if it is browning too quickly.

5. Remove from the oven when baked and allow cool in the tin for 5 minutes while you make the lemon syrup.

Lemon syrup:

6. Heat the lemon juice in a small saucepan until just boiling and remove from the heat. Stir in the granulated sugar.

To finish:

7. Using a thin skewer, prick the cake all over. Pour over half of the lemon syrup and set the cake aside to cool completely.

8. Remove the cake from the tin and also remove the baking parchment. Gently turn the cake over and prick the underside with the skewer. Pour over the remainder of the syrup and allow soak in to the cake.

9. Sprinkle to top f the cake with a little granulated sugar before serving.

Serves 8-10.     

Irish Soda Bread

This is my hundredth post and as such I wanted to include a recipe that is very close to my heart and also one that I regularly bake. In fact, brown soda bread was one of the first things that I ever made all by myself from scratch; it is unbelievably tasty and incredibly simple to make and an ideal recipe for those starting out on their cookery journey.

 

Given the fact that St. Patrick’s Day was only yesterday, I also think that is a timely recipe to give; not that I am suggesting that you should only make this bread on St. Patrick’s Day… far from it! As this is such a simple bread to make and is also exceptionally tasty, I am confident that you will want to make it time and time again.
 

Soda bread is so called because the raising agent used is bicarbonate of soda or ‘bread soda’ as it is commonly known as in Ireland. This reacts with the acidity contained in the buttermilk and results in the bread rising in the heat of the oven. As this bread doesn’t use yeast and no requires no proving, it is incredibly quick to make. Unlike yeast breads which tend to have a slightly chewy crumb, soda bread has a more cake-like consistency in the mouth. If made well, they are not dry and crumbly but are moist and moreish to eat.

 

Traditional soda breads are made of flour, bread soda, salt and buttermilk, but modern recipes often include a little butter or an egg. I don’t tend to add butter, but I do like to add an egg as this creates a moister bread, which keeps a little longer. In this regard, one of the essential things to remember about soda bread is that it is best eaten on the day that it is made, preferably still slightly warm from the oven. It is still edible for up to a couple of days, but if I have any still hanging around at this stage, I tend to slice and toast it. I find that toasting brown soda bread really highlights the almost nutty characteristics of the stone-ground wholemeal flour which is used, which I find particularly pleasing, especially if slathered in good Irish butter and some homemade orange marmalade. I also love to eat a freshly poached egg on toasted soda bread. Delicious!
 

The key to success when making soda bread is to handle the dough as little as possible after you have added the buttermilk to the dry ingredients. Just mix it enough to bring everything together – there is no need for kneading – form it into a round loaf shape, score a cross on the top using a sharp knife and pop into the preheated oven. Don’t dilly dally or let it sit around before baking in the oven; once the buttermilk is added, you must work briskly and with a light touch.

One other tip, the dough should be on the slightly sticky side… the last thing you want is a dry dough, because this will result in a very dry bread.

Ingredients:

125g plain flour
½ tsp salt

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

350g stoneground wholemeal flour

35g porridge oats

350ml buttermilk

1 egg, lightly whisked
 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan Oven 180C/Gas Mark 6. Lightly flour a baking sheet and set aside.
2. Sift the plain four, salt and bicarbonate into a large mixing bowl. Add the wholemeal flour and porridge oats and mix through.

3. Add the egg and then pour in most of the buttermilk (do not add it all at one time as you may not need it all) to create a soft, but not sticky dough.

4. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and form into a circle about 20-24cms in diameter and place on the prepared baking sheet. Slash a shallow cross on the top surface of the dough. Immediately place in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes or until well risen and a golden brown colour. Remove from the oven and once cool enough to handle, place on a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Makes 1 loaf.     

Bailey's Crème Brûlée

As today is St. Patrick’s Day, I wanted to produce something indulgent and delicious to eat but something that was ultimately simple to make and could be prepared beforehand. Ultimately, I wanted something that was Irish. This crème brûlée really fitted the bill and everyone thought it was amazing. I served it with a few thin shortbread biscuits on the side – the buttery crunch was just perfect with the creamy richness of the brûlée.

Many people think that brûlées are highly technical and difficult to make, but to be honest, once you remove them from the oven when they still have a very lightly ‘wobble’ in the centre and then ensure that they are well chilled before you finish with the caramel topping, success will be guaranteed.

In my ignorance, I thought that Bailey’s had been around for many years, but the Irish whiskey and cream based liqueur was only developed in the 1970s by Gilbeys of Ireland for the international market. It quickly became popular and is a well-established brand at this stage. I love to use it in homemade, ice-creams, cheesecakes and truffles. I also sometimes add a generous splash of it to my homemade rice pudding just before serving… lovely!!!

I have adapted the basic crème brûlée recipe that I have been using for years and have substituted Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur for some of the double cream that would normally be used. As the custard sets at a low heat in its bain marie in the oven, the alcohol in the liqueur does not ‘burn off’. I don’t consider this a problem but you might want to be aware of it if you had been planning on serving the brûlées to children.

I think that if you asked most non-Irish people what food they would associate with Ireland, the overwhelming response would be POTATOES!

Yes, the Irish love their potatoes, but over the past few decades we have developed a wide ranging agri-food sector with many quality food producers emerging and establishing themselves and their products in a challenging marketplace where the multi-national supermarkets hold such power. It is testament to the quality of the foodstuffs being made and the dedication of the producers that these businesses manage to survive and their excellence recognised abroad. I believe that Ireland has the best dairy product best beef in the world. Our smoked salmon is second-to-none. My husband has a sheep farm and the lamb that he produces is so delicious. I see on a daily basis the love and care he gives to his animals and the hard work he puts in to produce the sweetest, tastiest lamb.

On this St. Patrick’s Day I think we should celebrate and rejoice in the wonderful produce available in this beautiful country of ours, brought to us by the many devoted farmers and food producers around this country.

Crème brûlée is one of the classic desserts and this is my version, with an Irish twist in honour of the day that’s in it!

 

Ingredients:

8 egg yolks
75g caster sugar

400ml double cream

200ml Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur

To finish:

Demerara Sugar
 

Method:

1. Gently whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a fairly large bowl. Put the cream and Bailey’s into a saucepan and bring to boiling point. Remove from heat and pour onto the egg yolks mixture in the bowl, whisking it continuously.
2. Pour this mixture into six ramekins or as I have done, 6 coffee cups and then place in a fairly deep roasting tray. Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting tray to come half way up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the tray with aluminium foil and place in the preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes until just set but with a very slight wobble in the centre.

3. Allow to cool and then refrigerate until they are fully chilled.

To finish:

4. Sprinkle the top of each brûlée with a thin layer of Demerara sugar and using a blowtorch heat the sugar until it melts and caramelizes on top of each brûlée. Serve immediately.

 
Serves 6.  
   

Cherry Scones

A couple of friends rang me at short notice a few days ago and said that they were going to pop in on their way to Galway. As I hadn’t seen them for a while, I was delighted that we would get to meet up and was looking forward to a chat about life, love and the meaning of it all!

They had said that they wouldn’t want a meal to eat; but casually commented that they were sure that I had something freshly baked hanging around to be enjoyed with a cup of tea. Whilst this is invariably the case in my house (because I love cooking and baking and trying out new recipes) I have to admit that I actually had nothing freshly baked on this occasion.

I considered rushing off and quickly buying something pre-made from the bakery in town but then I realised that it would actually be quicker and far tastier to whip up a batch of scones. This is the great thing about scones; the dough can be made, baked on ready to eat in under half an hour.
 

That day I made both plain and sultana scones, but the recipe that I present here is for cherry scones. You can choose to add whatever you like or leave out the fruit – basically whatever takes your fancy.

There is a wealth of advice available about how to make the perfect scone. I think that this recipe is extremely reliable and provided you follow a few simple rules, it should work perfectly.

Rule 1: Rub the butter in with your fingertips and not the palms of your hands.

Rule 2: Once you add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients do not over-mix or overwork the dough, because that will create a heavy scone. Once it has all come together in the bowl, I tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work-surface and knead it very briefly. I then flatten it gently with my hands (not a rolling pin) before stamping out the scones with a round cutter.

Rule 3: do not flatten/roll out the dough too much. It should be about 4cm high.

Rule 4: Do not twist the cutter when stamping out the scones as this can make them rise unevenly.

Rule 5: Make sure the oven is well preheated before baking the scones.

I love cherry scones simply spread with tasty Irish butter, but they are also fabulous spread with a little jam and served with a generous splodge of whipped/clotted cream.

 

Ingredients:

350g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder

A generous pinch of salt

85g of very cold butter

30g caster sugar

50g glace cherries, halved

175ml buttermilk (or ordinary milk with a couple of drops of fresh lemon juice)

To finish:

1 egg, beaten
 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 220C/Fan Oven 200C/Gas Mark 7. Line a baking tray with some non-stick baking parchment and set aside.
2. Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt together, into a large mixing bowl. Take the butter and grate it using a large holed coarse grater, into the flour. Mix through the rated butter and then rub briefly with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and halved cherries.

3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the milk. Mix briefly with a blunt knife until the mixture just comes together.

4. Tip out on to a lightly floured work-surface and knead very briefly. Flatten the dough with your hands until it is about 4cms thick and then using a 6cm round cutter, stamp out rounds of the dough. Bring any excess dough together and stamp out further rounds but try not to overwork the dough.

5. Brush the top of each scone with a little of the beaten egg and immediately place into the oven to bake for 12-14 minutes until the scones are well risen and golden brown.

Makes 6 scones.