Iced Lemon Pound Cake

Using up some lemons; had a slice before freezing the rest - yummy.

·         1 cup SR flour 

·         1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

·         1/2 cup caster sugar

·         2 large eggs, at room temperature

·         2 tbsp yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature

·         3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

·         zest of 1 ½ lemon

·        2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

·        2 Tablespoons lemon juice

·         2 Tablespoon heavy cream or milk

1.      Lower the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

2.    Beat the butter on high speed in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.

3.    Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed.With the mixer running on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, then beat in the sour cream, lemon juice and lemon zest. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the flour until just combined. Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat for 10 seconds to rid any large lumps. Do not overmix.

4.      Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Pound cakes are dense and, therefore, take awhile in the oven. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out *mostly* clean. A couple moist crumbs may remain.

5.      Remove the cake from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool for 1 hour, then carefully remove from the loaf pan.

6.     Whisk all of the icing ingredients together and pour over slightly warm cake. Allow cake to cool completely before serving.

7.      Cover and store leftover cake at room temperature for up to 5 days.

The cake freezes well up to 3 months.

Bacon and Tomato Quiche

A recipe from James Martin; looks lovely but it is going in the deep freeze for later in the year.

Shortcrust pastry case
200g smoked back or streaky bacon
200g grated cheddar
Sliced Tomatoes
4 eggs
80ml milk
160ml cream
salt and pepper
Fresh Thyme

1. Put oven on gas mark 4
2. Fill pastry case with cheese
3. Arrange sliced tomatoes on top
4. Cook bacon till crispy then cut into pieces and arrange on pastry
5. Beat eggs, milk, cream and seasoning and pour over bacon
6. Sprinkle thyme on top and cook for 30-40 minutes until firm

Pork Loin Steaks in Creamy Shallot and Mushrooms Sauce

Turned out quite tasty; I did thicken the sauce with some white granules

·         4 pork loin steaks

·         1 tbsp olive oil

·         2 shallots, chopped

·         2-3 large field mushrooms or portobello mushrooms, chopped

·         2 rosemary sprigs, chopped

·         a splash of cognac or brandy (optional)

·         ¼ cup stock, pork or chicken

·         1 tbsp whole-grain mustard

·         200 gr/ ⅔ cup creme fraiche or heavy cream

·         salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1.    Rub your pork loin steaks with some sea salt.

2.    In a cast iron pan or a stainless steal pan heat a tablespoon of olive oil and brown your steaks in it for no longer than 2 minutes on each side.

3.    Remove your meat on a separate plate and set aside.

4.    To the same pan add shallots and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly to avoid burning for 3 minutes, than add mushroom and chopped rosemary and cook for 5 more minutes.

5.    When shallot and mushroom juices evaporate and the pan is dry, hit it with a shot of cognac while scraping the burnt bits with a wooden spoon.

6.    Add stock,whole grain mustard, creme fraiche and stir to combine.

7.    Return pork loin steaks to the pan, bring to a boil and let it simmer for 2 minutes longer and take the pan off the heat. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Enjoy with rice or potatoes.

Rhubarb and Strawberry Upside Down Cake

I used some of my frozen strawberries which made a fair bit of syrup; cake was done in a loaf tin

1 punnet strawberries (approx. 250 grams) hulled and halved

1 bunch rhubarb stalks, trimmed of leaves (approx. 380 grams) cut into 1cm pieces

125 grams butter or margarine, room

1.5 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract or essence

1/2 cup milk

METHOD

Toss strawberries and rhubarb with 1 tbsp sugar and leave for a few hours for liquid to form.

Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

Grease a 20cm cake tin with a removable base.

Arrange strawberries and rhubarb attractively in cake in. Drizzle over remaining syrup.

Put flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda in a small bowl and combine with a spoon.

Using a stand or hand mixer, beat 125 grams butter and sugar  in a large bowl until light and creamy (about 4 minutes).

Add vanilla extract or essence and then add eggs, one at a time, being sure to beat the mixture well after each egg.

Add half flour mixture and half milk and then beat again for another minute.

Add remaining flour and milk and beat again for another 2-3 minutes until mixture is well combined and airy.

Pour over fruit mixture in cake tin and even out top with an offset spatula (or  tap the tin a few times on the kitchen bench).

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius and then reduce heat to 180 degrees Celsius and bake for another 25-35 minutes. Check with a skewer to see if the cake is cooked – if it’s not give it a few more minutes and try again.

Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely.

Run a spatula around the edge of the cake tin and then gently turn the cake out onto a cake platter or plate.

Serves 8-10.

Somerset Pomona, apple & almond cake

Made 2/3 of this recipe in a small loaf tin for 5 people.

4 medium dessert apples

knob of butter, plus extra for greasing

200g / 8oz butter, softened

200g / 8oz golden caster sugar

3 large eggs, beaten

140g / 5oz self-raising flour

50g / 2oz ground almond

2 tbsp Somerset Pomona, plus extra to drizzle

For the glaze

2 tbsp apricot jam

1 tbsp Somerset Pomona

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and line the base and sides of a 20cm round cake tin. Peel, core and slice the apples to about the thickness of a £1 coin. Melt the knob of butter in a large frying pan then tip in the apples. Cook over a medium heat, stirring every so often till softened, but not soggy, about 5 mins. Splash in the Pomona and leave to cool. Tip onto a plate to cool more quickly if you like.

Using an electric whisk or wooden spoon, beat the softened butter and sugar until creamy and light. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating after each addition, then fold in the flour and almonds. Finally, fold in half of the cooled apples. Spoon the mix into the prepared tin, smooth the top and scatter with the rest of the apples, pressing down lightly into the batter.

Bake for 1 hr, until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Check the cake after 45 mins, cover with foil if it’s browning too quickly. To make the glaze, warm the jam and Pomona in a small pan until the jam melts.

Once the cake is out of the oven, prick it all over with a skewer and drizzle over a little more Pomona. Cool for 10 mins, then turn out of the tin and transfer to a wire rack. Brush the glaze over the apples and serve sliced, with dollops of Pomona cream. Best eaten on the day it’s made, or warmed through the next.

Rum Donut with Chocolate Glaze and Chantilly Cream

I didn't make the choclate glaze but bought a jar of Belgium Chocolate sauce and covered the donuts.

·         3/4 cup flour

·         2 Tbsp cornstarch

·         1/3 cup sugar

·         1 tsp baking powder

·         1/4 tsp salt

·         1/2 tsp cinnamon

·         1/3 cup greek yogurt

·         1 egg

·         1 Tbsp melted butter

·         1 tsp vanilla

·         275 g caster sugar

·         125 ml rum

·         75 ml sugar syrup (reserved when making the rum syrup)

·         100 g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

·         300 ml double cream

·         50 g icing sugar

·         Few drops of vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod

1.    Whisk together flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.

2.    In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, egg, melted butter, and vanilla. Add to the dry mixture and stir till just combined. If too thick add tbsp of milk.

3.  Spoon batter into a ziplock bag and snip off the corner. Squeeze the batter into a well greased donut pan. Divide the batter evenly into the six donut wells so the donuts will bake evenly.

4.    Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes. Let cool for a couple minutes, then remove to cooling racks.To make the rum syrup, pour 350ml of water into a saucepan, add the sugar and bring to the boil. Boil for two minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

5.    Pour 500ml of the sugar syrup into a separate pan (reserving the rest of the syrup to make the chocolate sauce), add the rum and gently warm over a low heat for one to two minutes, then remove and allow to cool.

6.    When the rum syrup has cooled, insert a fork into each donut and dunk it in the syrup, leaving it in the mixture until no more bubbles appear, then remove and place on a plate. Repeat the process with the remaining donut’s and set aside.

7.    To make the chocolate sauce, heat the sugar syrup in a saucepan to gently warm. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate pieces, stirring until melted, then pour into a jug for serving.

8.    Now make the Chantilly cream. Whip the cream in a clean bowl until soft peaks are formed, then fold in the icing sugar and vanilla extract and serve with the warm donut’s and chocolate sauce.