Blowing Hot and Cold

February comes in like a lion

 At the time of writing, Storm Ciara is raging outside and it feels more like Autumn here.

Nothing to be done, except cocoon myself in the kitchen and do some baking- and whilst we  are waiting for the weather to warm up, a little added spice doesn't go amiss.


Some leftover tinned sweetcorn inspired this first bake. Sweetcorn really doesn't keep well so needs using up pronto. Combined with some Mexican Cheddar, garlic and herb soft cheese and a muffin batter, I made these delicious Chili Cheese and Corn Cakes.

Mmm... apero time

Assemble your ingredients- for the dry part: 220g flour, 1 tsp salt, 3 tsps baking powder, 125 g tinned sweetcorn and 125g grated Mexican Cheddar ( or other strong cheese and some chopped red chillis if you can't get it).

The dry ingredients

For the wet ingredients- 200 ml milk, 125 g soft garlic and herb cheese ( I used Quark ), 75g melted butter and 1 egg.

The wet ingredients mixed

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees and generously grease some mini-loaf or muffin tins.
Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and beat together.

Mix wet and dry

Spoon into your tins and bake for around 15 minutes until risen and golden.

Spoon into muffin or mini-loaf tins

Lovely eaten warm with tomato soup, or with an early evening apéritif.

Chilli Cheese and Corn Cakes

With Easter not that far off, I thought I would have a go at making hot cross buns- but when the dough was ready for baking, I decided at the last minute to put it all in a loaf tin and make a Hot Cross Bun Cake. I was pleased with the result, and we ate it sliced with butter and jam for pretty much the rest of the week! Here's the recipe:

450g flour
pinch of salt
100g sugar
 7g sachet yeast
180 ml milk
1 egg
1 tsp each cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger
180g sultanas ( soaked in tea to plump them up)
70g melted butter
1. Warm the milk to blood temperature and mix in the yeast and  2 tsp of the sugar. Leave to rest 10 minutes.

Warm the milk and mix in yeast and sugar

2. Mix together the flour, salt, sugar and spices. Add the sultanas, tea, melted butter, milk mixture and  beaten egg.

Mix together all the ingredients

3. Knead well on a floured board until nice and elastic.
4.Place back in the mixing bowl, cover with a clean cloth and put in a warm place to rise for an hour or so.

Dough has doubled in size

5. When doubled in size, take out the dough and either make it into 12 buns or put it in a loaf tin.
Cover again and leave for another 30 minutes or so before cooking at 200 degrees for around 35 minutes.
6. When cool, you can either pipe a cross onto the top or glaze with a little icing sugar dissolved in hot water.

Hot Cross Bun Cake ( ready for icing)

Finally-I know it's not baking ( or even cooking ) but I did want to share with you my Instant Ginger Ice Cream- which goes beautifully in a banana split.
I make this now whenever I have half a tub of vanilla ice cream leftover. It is also really good made with soya ice cream for vegans or those on a dairy-free diet.

Just chop up 1-2 tbsp stem ginger in syrup

Chopped stem ginger

and quickly mix in a bowl with your softened ice cream.

Quickly mix and refreeze

When thoroughly mixed, put the ice cream back in the freezer until you are ready to serve.

I served it here with a Banana Split and topped with some of the ginger syrup from the jar or a caramel sauce and some crushed sesame snap biscuits for more crunch.

Banana Split with Ginger Ice cream

So there we are- some spiced recipes to take you through this stormy weekend. 

Next time I write this blog, I'm hoping for some spring weather to make us all feel good.

Yeah!

Spring has Sprung!

and the grass has riz...*

Time for a celebration 'printanière'- a selection of spring time recipes for you.

The first is a Spring Risotto - and four ways with the leftovers.

And I finish it off with some  leftover Hot Cross Bun ideas. Yum!





First, for the Spring Risotto. Use whatever spring veg you have left in your garden or is seasonal in the shops. I had spring onions, leeks, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes ( and frozen peas).

For two people, you need 1 large mug of risotto rice, some olive oil for frying, 1 litre of hot chicken or vegetable stock, 1 glass of white wine, 1 tbsp Boursin or cream cheese with herbs and garlic and a knob of butter. Begin by stir-frying your veg (except the peas) and risotto rice in the olive oil. Add the white wine.

Stir fry your risotto rice and veg until coated

Then add the stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring as it absorbs.

Stir in the stock a ladleful at a time

When the rice is nearly tender, and all the stock more or less used up, add the peas ( they will keep their green colour if you add them last).

Add the peas

Finally, mix in the Boursin and a knob of butter to make the risotto extra creamy.

Stir in the Boursin and butter

Serve hot in bowls.

Creamy Spring Risotto

The leftovers lend themselves to all kinds of dishes- hot or cold.

You can form the rice into little balls, coat in egg and breadcrumbs and fry in hot oil ( or bake for a healthier version) to make Arancini. 

Arancini with spicy chilli sauce

Or mix with a little curried mayonnaise and some chopped tomato or sweetcorn for a risotto salad.

Risotto salad

Or use to make Stuffed Beef Tomatoes. Just hollow out some large beef tomatoes with a teaspoon and mix the chopped flesh with the leftover risotto before spooning it back into the tomatoes and baking in a hot oven, topped with grated cheese.

(Suggestive olive decoration not compulsory!)

Stuffed Beef Tomatoes with Cheese ( and humorous olives)

And do something similar with Bell peppers- stuff with risotto mixed with some cubed feta or halloumi cheese and lardons and bake in a hot oven.

Risotto Stuffed Peppers

And now for those Hot Cross Buns. Who doesn't love them? Toasted with butter and jam or honey, they can't be beaten.

One a penny, two a penny...hot cross buns

Or can they?

You might like to try digging out your old sandwich toastie machine to try these next two ideas.

Try spreading the bun with caramel or fudge sauce and chopped banana, 

Spread the bun with caramel and sliced banana

Then toast until the outside is crispy in a toastie machine ( or fry on both sides in  pan) to make a Banoffanini:

Banoffanini- yum!

Or use the same method but spread the bun with Nutella or chocolate sauce and sprnkle with raspberries or fruits of the forest and toast to make a Chock Berry Toastie.

Chock Berry Toastie and ice cream

Finally- how about a Hot Cross Bun Baked Alaska?

Beaten egg whites at the stiff peak stage

Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees. Whip up two egg whites with some caster sugar until at the stiff peak stage. (The egg yolks go into scrambled eggs for tomorrow's lunch).

Split and lightly toast the buns. Allow to cool completely before topping each with a scoop of ice cream of your choice. Then quickly spread the egg whites all over using a palette knife ( or piping bag if you are flash) making sure that the ice cream is completely covered right down to the base of the bun as the tiniest hole can allow the ice cream to melt and leak out.

Bake in the hot oven for 4 minutes until golden all over. (You can add some finishing touches with a cook's blow torch if you have one.)

Hot Cross Bun Baked Alaska

* Poem often attributed to Ogden Nash 'Spring is sprung and the grass is riz- I wonder where dem flowers is?'