Blog Awards Ireland 2014 and a recipe for a Plum Tart

I was thrilled to be shortlisted recently in the Food & Drink category for the Blog Awards Ireland 2014. When the shortlist was published and I saw that my blog was included, I think that it is fair to say that I was more than a little bit delighted.

I started thinking about why I first started writing this blog and the things I hoped to achieve by doing it. At its simplest, I started writing this blog because I hoped that people would be interested in the recipes that I had to share, many of which were based on much loved dishes from my childhood. I also wanted to have a collection of these recipes in one place so that my children could use them in years to come and that they would remember me (hopefully fondly) when they cooked them.  For me, cooking is about conviviality, sharing and ultimately it’s about nurturing and providing food for the people you love and care about; at its heart are family and the extended community.

I was an enthusiastic reader as a child and eagerly read anything that I could get my hands on - newspapers, magazines, hovels and reference books; but I derived the most pleasure from reading the three or four ancient looking cookbooks that my grandmother owned.

These were cookbooks without photographs and sparsely illustrated with very simple line drawings. Because of this, I had to imagine what some of the dishes would taste like from reading the ingredients lists and cooking instructions. I think it was here that my love of food and cookery really began to develop. I longed to read other cookbooks and tried to persuade my grandmother to purchase some new books, but she always resisted, preferring instead to base her cooking on tried and trusted recipes she’d learnt over the years and the ones contained in her own cookbooks.

In those childhood years, I often thought about how much I would love to be a food-writer. Over the years, life intervened and not knowing how to pursue that dream, it fell by the wayside and other priorities emerged, but my love for cooking and reading cookery books, magazines and articles remained and flourished. When I started working, I was able to afford to buy myself the occasional cookbook and my collection started to grow. (Note: a couple of decades later, it’s now at an embarrassingly large size!)
 

With social media and the world of blogging, I can now write about food and share my enthusiasm for Irish ingredients and recipes and show how travel and other food cultures have influenced my cookery. It’s hard to express how much I love writing and sharing recipes, but it is something that I truly enjoy.

The following is a recipe – a variation on the frangipane tart theme – which I regularly cook using seasonal fruits and one that is really useful for exploiting whatever is at its best. To make life really simple there is no blind baking of pastry shells involved; pastry discs are simple cut out from a sheet of puff pastry and are topped with a simple frangipane mixture and the fruit of your choice and are then baked. You can ring the changes by using other ground pistachios or hazelnuts in place of the almonds and can of course use whatever fruit takes your fancy. This recipe typifies my approach to cooking – one that is simple to prepare, easily adaptable and most important of all, delicious to eat!

In the photos accompanying this post you will see that I have served my tarts with a scoop of ice-cream. This was a roasted almond ice-cream and it went perfectly with the plum tarts. I was so pleased with the recipe for the almond ice-cream so will post the recipe for it separately.

Ingredients:

350g puff pastry (preferably made with all-butter)
Frangipane:
125g butter, softened

125g caster sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

125g ground almonds

1tblsp plain flour

25ml Amaretto

Topping:

6 plums, halved and stones removed, cut into thin slices

A little icing sugar for dusting
 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C/Fan Oven 160C/Gas Mark 4. Line two large baking sheets with non-stick baking parchment and set aside.

2. Roll out the puff pastry until it is about 3mm thick and cut out 8 discs about 12-14cms in diameter using a small plate as a guide. Place these on the prepared baking trays. Prick each pastry disc several times with a fork. Set aside.
Frangipane:
3. Place the butter and caster sugar into a large mixing bowl and using a hand-held electric mixer, beat together until light and fluffy. Gradually mix in the eggs beating well after each addition. Add the ground almonds and the flour and mix these in well. Finally add the Amaretto and mix briefly until just incorporated.
To finish:
4. Spread 2 or 3 tablespoons of the frangipane on each disc to within about a centimetre of the edge of the pastry, using a small palette knife or the back of a spoon.
5. Once you have spread the frangipane on top of the puff pastry discs, arrange the plum slices in a circle on top of the frangipane. Dust lightly with icing sugar and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the tarts have risen slightly, the frangipane is a deep golden colour and the fruit is cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking trays for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve with a scoop of ice-cream or a little clotted cream.

Serves 4.

Cherry Sorbet

My last state-of-the-art ice-cream maker recently decided to die on me! I was devastated, because although a bit of a dinosaur in technology terms (it was over 15 years old) it had served me well, literally churning out ice-creams and sorbets by the litre. It was so easy to use and I loved it.
 I love the experimentation you can do with different ingredients and flavours when you make your own ice-cream at home, so I knew that I would have to replace this now deceased small home-appliance; and sooner rather than later!

I was browsing around my local Aldi store recently and lo and behold, they had ice-cream makers on offer for €25! I had paid significantly more than that for my original one. It sounds a little bit perverse of me, but I was more than a little bit suspicious whether this piece of machinery could be any good, when it was being offered at such a low price, but I decided that I would risk it, because even if it was useless, it cost relatively little and I could eventually invest in a better one, if I had to.

Well, let me tell you, this is a great little machine and I have been making ice-creams and sorbets galore since I acquired it.

As I think any regular followers of my blog will know… I am a little bit obsessed with fresh cherries at the moment. Well, in keeping with my basic philosophy of trying to cook and eat seasonally in as far as possible, cherries are in season at the moment. Pretty soon I will probably be on a blackberry, mushroom and game overload as autumn really sets in but for now I’m trying a few last cherry recipes before their season comes to an end for this year.

Let me tell you, this sorbet was a triumph. I was so pleased with how it turned out. It was bursting with intense cherry flavour and the colour was AMAZING!

The underlying principles of making this sorbet could be adapted to use other fruits in season, but at the moment, to my mind, this cherry sorbet will takes some beating. It was fabulous.
 

Ingredients:

900g fresh cherries, pitted
225ml water
300g caster sugar

50ml lemon juice

1tblsp kirsch (optional)

1tblsp liquid glucose
 

Method:

1. Place the cherries, water and sugar in a large saucepan and bring to the boil over a moderate heat. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes until the cherries are soft. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.

2. Puree the cherries in a blender or food processor and then pass through a fine sieve into a clean bowl. This step is not absolutely necessary, but it really does ensure that the resulting sorbet is beautifully smooth. Allow the puree to cool completely and then add the lemon juice, kirsch (if using) and liquid glucose.

3. Pour the cooled mixture into the bowl of the ice-cream maker and churn following the manufacturer’s instructions.
 

Serves 6-8.

Omelette Arnold Bennett

There are times when I like to cook things that are a little extravagant to eat but still quick to cook. I have always been a great lover of smoked haddock, ever since my grandmother first introduced me to her fish chowder which included it, along with fresh cod, potatoes and sweetcorn. Smoked Haddock is also one of the main ingredients in Omelette Arnold Bennett.

Arnold Bennett was an English writer, novelist and journalist, born in the late 19^th century. Legend has it that the eponymous omelette was created for him whilst he was staying in the Savoy Hotel finishing one of his novels. The omelette still appears on the menu of the Savoy Grill and is one of its most popular dishes.

I have to admit, that I have long been fascinated with this dish, but had never tried it. I managed to get my hands on some lovely un-dyed smoked haddock and decided that now was the time to get around to it.

Be under no illusions, this is a rich dish consisting of a thick omelette, almost like a Spanish tortilla, topped with a rich hollandaise or béchamel sauce which includes generous chunks of softly poached smoked haddock. Restraint is not the order of the day here and everything is cooked in butter and then topped with some grated gruyère or parmesan before being finished off under a hot grill.

I absolutely loved this dish… it was incredibly delicious and the balance of flavours between the smokiness of the haddock, the slight saltiness of the cheese and the creaminess of the eggs and the béchamel sauce was just wonderful. All in all it took me about twenty minutes to make this recipe from start to finish, which was also another major plus.

Smoked fish and particularly smoked haddock, which is quite meaty can stand up to being paired with other strong flavours, without getting lost, but it is nice to add a little bit of freshness by the addition of a generous amount of chopped parsley. You could also add some fresh chives as their faint onion taste would also work well here.

Although, this dish is intended to be eaten hot, I found that the chilled leftovers made a particularly tasty packed lunch for me in work the following day.

The recipe that I give here is an amalgamation and adaptation of the recipes given by two of my favourite and most trusted food writers Delia Smith and Nigel Slater. Delia’s recipe can be accessed here and Nigel’s recipe can be accessed here

 

Ingredients:

To poach the smoked haddock:
250g smoked haddock (natural and un-dyed if possible)
300ml milk

1 onion, peeled and cut in half

4-5 whole black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

Béchamel sauce:

40g butter

30g plain flour

Large handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Omelette:

25g butter

6 large eggs, lightly beaten

25g grated parmesan or gruyère

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
 

Method:

To poach the fish:

1. Place all the poaching ingredients for poaching the fish in a medium sized saucepan and bring up to simmering point over a moderate heat. Allow to simmer for about 5-8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes.

2. Remove the fish from the poaching liquid and gently flake into generous chunks. Strain the poaching liquid into a clean jug and discard, the onions, bay leaf and peppercorns.

Béchamel sauce:

3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a moderate heat and then add in the flour, stirring continuously with a small whisk. Allow to cook for one minute to get rid of the raw flour taste. Gradually whisk in the reserved poaching milk and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes over a gentle heat to create a smooth, slightly thick sauce. Remove from the heat and fold in the flaked fish and chopped parsley. Set aside while you make the omelette.

Omelette:

4. Heat the butter in an omelette or small frying pan (about 20cms in diameter) over a gentle heat. Once the butter has melted, add the eggs and season lightly. Once the eggs have almost set but still have a slight wobble in the centre, add the smoked haddock béchamel sauce, spreading it out with a spatula. Sprinkle over the grated cheese.

5. Place under a hot grill for 4-5 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the eggs have puffed up slightly. Remove from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving, cut into wedges.

Serves 2-3.

It is easier to go down a hill than up, but the view is from the top.

Arnold Bennett.

 

 

 

 

Cherry, Chocolate Chip & Hazelnut Cake

I am still on a bit of a cherry crusade at the moment, using these beautiful little stone fruits in as many recipes as I can. When deciding how to use a particular ingredient in my cooking or baking, I think it is important that the essential characteristics of the particular ingredient shine through. Cherries have such a beautiful juicy flavour and this should be retained irrespective of the cooking technique or treatment they undergo.

My face seems permanently speckled with a fine spray of cherry juice these days; produced when I enthusiastically extract the stones with my cherry pitter but I’m not complaining because I absolutely love cherries and don’t think that I could ever tire of them.

This cake is so delicious and because of the inclusion of the ground hazelnuts and almonds, beautifully moist to eat. I had toyed with the idea of baking a chocolate sponge hazelnut cake and adding the cherries, but I am delighted that I instead opted to make a cake with little chocolate chunks running through it. In this way the individual flavours of all the ingredients really came through in their own right, yet really complemented each other.

Chocolate goes so well with cherries and both these ingredients bring out the best in hazelnuts. Baking the fresh cherries in the cake really enhanced their juiciness and made the cake totally addictive to eat. I would recommend eating this cake at room temperature, before the chocolate chunks harden. There is something so inviting about eating slightly melted chocolate in a warm cake… you feel like you are doing something completely self-indulgent, forbidden and completely naughty.

In some of the photos you will see that I have served the cake with a scoop of cherry sorbet. This was delicious with the warm cake and I would thoroughly recommend making it. I will post the recipe for that separately, as it is SO good and deserves a post in its own right. In the meantime, do have a go at baking this cake. It’s incredibly tasty and relatively easy to make.

Ingredients:

150g butter softened
150g caster sugar

3 large eggs

150g self-raising flour, sifted

30g ground almonds

100g ground hazelnuts

100g dark chocolate cut into 1cm chunks

150g cherries, pitted

To finish:

2tblsp apricot jam

2tblsp water
 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C/Fan Oven 160/Gas Mark 4. Line a 22cm cake tin with non-stick baking parchment and set aside.

2. Place the butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl and using a hand-held electric mixer, cream together until light and fluffy. Gradually, add the eggs, making sure that they are well mixed in before adding more.

3. Add the flour and fold in using a large metal spoon. Next, add the ground almonds, ground hazelnuts and chocolate chunks and fold these in so that they are evenly dispersed.

4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and level the surface with a spatula or the back of a metal spoon. Finally press the cherries evenly into the top of the cake, but just enough so that most of each cherry is still visible. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes until the cake is well risen, golden brown and a thin skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes while you make the apricot glaze.

To finish:

6. Place the apricot jam and water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Allow to bubble for about 2 minutes and then remove from the heat. Pass through a fine sieve so that and chunks of apricot are collected. These can be discarded. Use a pastry brush to brush the apricot glaze on top of the cake while it is still warm. Remove from the tin and place on a wire rack to finish cooling completely. the cake can also be served still slightly warm.
 

Serves 8-10.
 

Florentines

Biscuit week on the Great British Bake Off and the contestants were challenged to bake a batch of savoury biscuits for their signature bake; a three dimensional biscuit scene for the showstopper challenge and florentines for the technical challenge.

On the face of it baking a batch of biscuits seems like a fairly easy task, but whilst variations within a baked batch of biscuits are tolerated and often welcomed for their home-spun charm in the home kitchen, they most certainly aren’t in the GBBO tent! Here, in addition to the biscuits tasting delicious, uniformity is the order of the day.

Once again this week, I have decided to try my hand at attempting my version of the bake that was set to the contestants in the technical challenge. Although florentines seem quite easy to make there are a few pitfalls along the way to look out for. Even slightly over-baking can result in biscuits that taste very burnt whilst under-baking can result in a biscuit that is too chewy. Coating the underside of the baked biscuits in chocolate is also a little tricky as you have to wait until the chocolate has cooled as is on the verge of setting again before attempting to apply it and create the wavy pattern that is so characteristic of traditional florentines.

Florentines should be crunchy on the outside but only very slightly chewy nearer the centre. They should also taste sweetly nutty in every bite. The addition of chocolate adds a little taste of luxury and textural contrast. I favour the use of dark chocolate when coating the florentines because I think it strikes the right balance against the sweetness contained in the biscuits, but you can use white or milk chocolate if you prefer.

Florentines, along with shortbread are biscuits that I very much associate with Christmas and the New Year, but after having made them here and knowing now how relatively simple they are to make, I will definitely be making them again and not keeping them confined to the festive season only.

Many versions of florentines, including the one that Mary Berry gave on this week’s programme include dried fruit or mixed peel along with the nuts. I have decided to keep it very simple here and have made an almond and ginger version of florentines, which I have coated in dark chocolate. I love the spicy warmth that the ginger gives the florentines and think that this goes so well with the almonds and chocolate. I have also added a little hint of fruitiness with the addition of some finely grated orange zest, but you can leave this out, if you prefer.

Ingredients:

25g butter
75g caster sugar
3tblsp double cream
1 heaped tblsp plain flour
65g flaked almonds
50g preserved stem ginger in syrup, drained and finely diced

Finely grated zest of 1 orange

125g dark chocolate, melted
 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C/Fan Oven 160C/Gas Mark 4. Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking parchment and set aside.

2. Place the butter, sugar and cream in a medium sized saucepan over a moderate heat and stir continuously until the sugar has dissolved.

3. Stir in the flour and mix through using a wooden spoon. Add the almonds, stem ginger and orange zest and mix these through until thoroughly combined.

4. Drop teaspoons of the mixture on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them well apart, leaving about 6cms between each. Bake in the preheated oven for about 7-8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove them from the oven and whilst they are still hot, neaten the edges. When cool enough to handle remove to a wire rack to finish cooling completely before decorating with the melted chocolate.

To finish:
5. Using a small palette knife spread cooled melted chocolate over the underside of the biscuits and then run a fork through the chocolate ion a wavy pattern. Return to the cooling rack with the chocolate side facing upwards, to allow the chocolate to harden.
 

Serves 4.