Happy Mother's Day & Madeira Cake

One of my favourite treats as a child was being handed the wooden spoon after my mam had mixed up a cake and licking off the delicious batter that refused to shift and plop into the baking tin.  Once the spoon had been licked clean the bowl would be offered forward and the remnants diligently scraped and shovelled into my little mouth.  More often than not it was the dregs of a Madeira cake batter, thick, creamy and sweet, almost nicer than the baked cake.  It is such a versatile cake and I'm sure it appeared in many guises throughout the baking year but all that I remember are those delicious moments stood in the kitchen licking the spoon clean until my tongue felt like it would fall off its hinges. 

I made a Madeira cake yesterday for my husband to give to his mam for Mother's Day.  Without thinking when I had filled the cake tins I licked the spoon.  It was an involuntary action and one I am sure I do every time I make a cake but it stopped me in my tracks for a moment.  It tasted exactly the same.  Had I closed my eyes I could have been standing in our old scullery kitchen again 5, 6 or 7 years of age.  I have tried many times to recreate some recipes so that they taste exactly as they did when my mam made them.  I don't think I have ever managed it so perfectly as with this simple cake.  Without even consciously trying it always tastes exactly as it did then.  I love that food has that power over us, like a time machine it can transport us in an instant to a perfect moment forever etched on our minds and in our hearts.  Some of the happiest memories in my life have food at their centre.  Yes it nourishes our body, but more than that it nourishes our soul.  A life without food would be a sad and empty journey.  Next time you fancy a little time travel forget all of that quantum physics nonsense, just grab a spoon and close your eyes.  Bon voyage!

To all of the yummy mummy's out there I hope that you are enjoying a lovely day.  Sit down, put your feet up and leave all of the hard work to someone else for a change.  If you are really lucky maybe someone will make you a nice Madeira cake.  Either way, enjoy your day, you deserve it.

x

Madeira Cake

175g Unsalted Butter, softened and diced
175g Caster Sugar
3 Large Eggs
1tsp Vanilla Extract
225g Plain Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
2tbsp Whole Milk

1.  Preheat the oven to 170C/F/Gas Mark .  Grease an 8" spring for cake tin with butter and line the base with parchment paper, alternatively grease 2 x 8" sandwich tins and line the bases with parchment paper.

2.  Place the butter into the bowl of an electric mixer and cream, alternatively place in a bowl and cream using a hand held electric whisk.
3.  Add the caster sugar and mix until combined and fluffy.
4.  Add the eggs one at a time while continuing to mix.

5.  Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
6.  Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix to combine but do not overwork the mixture.
7.  Finally, add in the milk and mix until incorporated.
8.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking tin or divided evenly between the 2 prepared sandwich tins.

9.  Place into the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour if baking 1 cake or half an hour if baking 2 to sandwich together.  I clean skewer inserted into the cake should come out clean when baked.
10.Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tins before turning out.

Buttercream Icing

180g Unsalted Butter, softened and diced
500g Icing Sugar
3tbsp Milk
1tsp Vanilla Extract
Food colouring of your choice

1.  Sift the icing sugar into the bowl of and electric mixer and add the butter.  Alternatively sift the sugar into a bowl and add the butter and use a hand held electric whisk.
2.  Mix on a medium speed until smooth and creamy.
3.  Add the milk, vanilla extract and food colouring and mix on high speed for five minutes.
4.  Place a layer between the two cakes and then smooth over the top and down the sides.

Catherine Fulvio's Apple Cake with Olive Oil

I posted last week about Catherine Fulvio's new book, Catherine's Italian Kitchen.  The lovely people at Gill & Macmillan were kind enough to send me a copy prior to release helping to feed my cookbook addiction.  I pretty much want to try every recipe in the book and will do, eventually, but spotted a little something that I knew Mr Boo would like.  That night I popped on my apron and whipped up Catherine's Apple Cake with Olive Oil.

The batter was really easy to mix up and didn't take very long.  While it was in the oven it filled the house with the most delicious warm, comforting aromas.  As soon as Mr Boo stepped in the door that night he popped his head into the living room to ask me what he could smell.  He was more than happy when he followed me to the kitchen I showed him.  Now, I'm not really a big fan of fruit cakes but I did have a little taste so that I could report on the outcome.

The cake was deliciously light and moist, with subtle flavours of cinammon and ginger.  The raisins were perfectly plump following their hot bath prior to baking and the cake was studded with tender cubes of apple.  It was perfect for the unexpected chilly night we were experiencing last Thursday, much to early for my liking in August.  Mr Boo made short work of making two rather large wedges disappear so I think it has his seal approval. 

Catherine suggests this cake as an alternative to a traditional *whispers* Christmas cake (I know, it is still to early in the year to mention the C word but I think it would be perfectly suited to the festive season too).  It does not contain any alcohol so it won't last as long as a traditional whiskey soaked cake but it did last perfectly well in a cake tin for 5 days in our house.  You could also add a little rum (maybe 3oz) if you want to add more of a festive touch to it.  Obviously you would not be able to make this weeks in advance as with traditional cakes but it would only require a few minutes on Christmas Eve.  I have an other idea in mind for a nice autumnal twist and will report back soon if it turns out as tasty as I think it will.  Whatever time of year you decide to try this recipe I hope that you enjoy it!

Apple Cake with Olive Oil
(Serves 8-10)
This recipe was also accompanied by an 'E' symbol (E = easy to make)

"This is a lovely cake from the north of Italy, where interestingly, olive oil replaces butter in the recipe.  The apple softens in the baking process, resulting in a wonderfully moist cake.  The flavours are very autumnal, and in fact, I have made this as my alternative Christmas Cake. "

110g/4oz Golden Raisins or Sultanas
200g/7oz Golden Caster Sugar
3 large Eggs
150ml/5floz Extra Virgin Olive Oil
350g/12.33oz Plain Flour
1tsp Ground Cinnamon
0.5tsp Ground Ginger
1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1tsp Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt
Zest of 1 Lemon
500g Cooking Apples, peeled and diced into 1.5cm pieces

1.  Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.  Butter and flour a 20cm springform cake tin.
2.  Place the raisins or sultanas in a bowl of hot water and allow to soak for 15 minutes to plump up.  Drain and set aside.

3.  Whisk the sugar and eggs until doubled in volume and pale cream in colour.  Warm the olive oil in a saucepan, then slowly whisk it into the eggs and sugar.

4.  Sieve the flour, cinammon, ginger, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt, then gradually add to the oil and egg mixture.  Fold in well.

5.  Add the drained raisins/sultanas to the mixture, along with the lemon zest and diced apples.  Mix thoroughly.  The mixture should be stiff at this stage.

6.  Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin.  Bake for at least 1 hour, until a clean skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Carefully remove the cake from the tin and allow to cool on a wire rack.

* As an alternative to the apples, try diced pear.

Cheddar Cheese & Thyme Scones

As the weather has turned a little autumnal this week I have been craving warm and comforting snacks to keep me going between meals.  Yesterday I baked up a batch of yummy cheese and thyme scones.  They are only gorgeous.  I had one straight from the oven with a little butter and oh my, it was only beeuriful!  Jesus, ok ok I had TWO straight from the oven with a little butter.  Who died and made you lot the diet police, wah?!  The rest are individually wrapped and in the freezer just waiting for a little hunger pang to strike.  Enjoy these cold, toasted or quickly warmed through in the microwave.  The only thing missing I think is a big bowl of stew to go with them.  Honest to God, it's freezing here right now.  I'm off to pop the kettle on, you lot go and get your aprons on.  Enjoy!

Apologies for the picture quality here but I didn't have my camera to hand so had to rely on my phones camera

Cheddar Cheese and Thyme Scones
(I yielded 11 scones from this recipe)

225g/8oz Plain Flour
1tbsp Baking Powder
Pinch of Sea Salt
50g/2oz Butter
125g/4.5oz Mature Cheddar Cheese, grated
3-4 sprigs chopped Fresh Thyme
125-150ml/4.5-5floz Milk

1.   Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.  Oil a baking sheet (I used a silicone sheet on my baking sheet instead).
2.   Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
3.   With clean hands, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

4.   Stir in 2/3's of the grated cheese.

5.   Stir in the chopped fresh thyme.

6.   Gradually pour in the milk until you have a soft dough.

7.   Roll the dough out on a floured work surface to a thickness of approximately 1cm/0.5". 

8.   Using a floured pastry cutter, cut out circles and space out evenly on the baking sheet.

9.   Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese on top of the scones.

10. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden around the edges.

11. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes.  Enjoy whilst still hot with some butter. 

12. Store any leftover scones in an airtight container for up to 3 days or wrap individually in cling film and freeze.

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

Yet another #twookiparty recipe for you folks.  I know, I know.  I went a bit mental but sure you can knock up a batch of cookies in ten minutes and they go down so easy, too easy!  I have to say that I would probably add more strawberries to these next time as I found that the flavour was very weak but they were still delicious cookies.  See what you think for yourself.

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

Yields approx 36
(I divided the dough in 3, baked a dozen and froze two rolls of dough to bake at a later date)

12oz Strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
100g/3.5oz Granulated Sugar
240g/8.5oz Plain Flour
2tsp Baking Powder
1/2tsp Coarse Salt
90g/3oz Cold Unsalted Butter, cut into small pieces
160ml/5.5floz Double Cream
Granulated Sugar for Sprinkling

1.  Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5.
2.  Line 3 baking sheets with greaseproof paper. (If you are baking the cookies in batches line one baking sheet)
3.  In a small bowl combine the strawberries, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.

4.  Sieve the flour and baking powder into a large bowl and add the salt and remaining sugar.
5.  Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or rub it in with your fingers, until the mixture rembles coarse crumbs. (Make sure hands are cold if you choose to rub in the butter to ensure the butter does not become too soft.)

6.  Add the cream and stir until the dough starts to come together and then add the strawberry mixture and stir to incorporate.
7.  Using a tablespoon sized measuring spoon, or a regular measuring spoon, drop balls of dough 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.  Flatten slightly with the tines of a fork and sprinkle with some granulated sugar.
8.  Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes (oven temperatures vary so times may be slightly different from oven to oven) until golden brown.
9.  Remove from the oven and allow to sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

10. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye, Like A Big Pizza Pie...

I think it was The Glutton who mentioned homemade pizza on Thursday afternoon.  I had a huge longing for that exact thing earlier that day but as it was Thursday and as I try to eat healthy meals on weekdays I banished all such yummy thoughts from my head.  Then she just had to go and dangle it in my face again.  A little discussion arose on Beaut.ie with some of the lovely ladies advising that as it was homemade it couldn't be all that bad for a person and to go on ahead and indulge myself.  I held my resolve though and decided no, not a morsel of pizza would pass my lips before the officialdom of the weekend.  A request was then submitted for a pizza base recipe which I duly posted and on Friday morning I was informed by Emz that she had made said pizza and twas yum and munched with great appreciation from her Mr. I caved and decided that instead of waiting until Saturday night as I had resolved to do I would have to, HAVE TO, have pizza on the menu for Friday instead.  It was gorgeous, so much nicer than any shop bought, frozen or takeaway options. Which brings me smoothly on to the best pizza I have ever eaten.

We are gonna have to take a little stroll over to New York for this one peeps, so pop on your most comfortable walking shoes.  On our first trip stateside, Mr. Boo and I, travelled with a group of friends, one of who is a professional holidayer (it is a word before you go off and check, well maybe not, but it is now).  He researches everything, checks out all of the best restaurants and bars and does a little map recy so he knows exactly how to get everywhere with minimum hassle and time.  This is the best type of person to make a virgin voyage to New York with in my humble opinion.  It is such an overwhelming place that an out of towner could feel a little intimidated by it's size and pace and miss out on so much.  So with our tour guide at the helm we were bound to find some greats whilst there.

On our 1st night, weary from travel and time zone changes we decided to ease ourselves in with his recommendation, John's Pizzeria in Greenwich Village.  We ordered 3 pizzas between 8 and in all my life as a little Irish cailin I had never seen pizzas as big, well except in Friends and the like.  They were mahoosive, and oh so yummy.  We filled our tummies and were reenergized for the rest of our holiday.  Almost as good as the pizza themselves is the atmosphere that is always present.  The place is a hive of activity, always, and the graffitied wooden wall panels fit it just perfectly.  John's has remained our 1st night haunt every time we have visited since.

We started our honeymoon in New York and as always had planned a trip to John's on arriving.  We were both pretty whacked; understandably, we had just planned a wedding and had the most hectic week of our lives.  I decided a quick shower to freshen up was the order of the day and then a little 'rest' on the bed while Mr. Boo showered.  When he emerged form the shower I was out cold and no amount of prodding or poking from him could wake me.  We both woke the next morning, me feeling completely refreshed, him feeling a little off colour.  That evening he was still not 100% but would not hear any suggestions from me that we head back to the hotel and order room service so he could rest. No, he couldn't come to New York and NOT visit John's so off we went.

We were seated in a booth along the wall.  Next to us was a long table with a large group of friends, and we both remarked how it was reminiscent of our own group on that first trip.  Our pizza was delivered to the table and perched atop one of those stands usually reserved for an order of two pizzas.  We both ate a slice but it was clear Mr Boo would not be able for anymore.  He reached for his drink and as he did so he knocked the pizza from it's stand and sent it flying through the air.  We both looked on open mouthed as it flew up into the air and then came crashing to the floor with a very large bang, smearing it's toppings down the jacket of the man sitting with his back to us.  Not good.

At this stage everyone was looking at us, except one person who was looking at his jacket.  Oh no, I was wrong, now he's looking at us too.  Crap!  Our waiter was at our side in a jiffy, cleaning up the mess and apologising.  We were blushing horrendously and apologising.  Your man was attempting to clean his jacket and scowling.  Our waiter then declared he would be back shortly with a replacement and would not take no for an answer.  We just wanted to leave.  Mr Boo could not face eating another bite and now he was going to have to eat at least two slices to be polite.  Your man was still scowling and making exaggerated attempts to clean his jacket.  OK, OK we know we just destroyed it, we're sorry.  A couple of pitchers of beer sent to their table by means of an apology and it would seem we made a friend for life, no more scowling and a very warm goodbye as he left.  Phew!  Now we just had to worry about how we would get through a fresh pizza.  We managed it, we ate enough to be polite, left a very generous tip for our kind waiter and have returned since to enjoy the hospitality and our pizzas, event free, thankfully.  So there you have it, my favourite pizza ever comes courtesy of John's Pizzeria, but the ones that are made in my own kitchen are definitely my second favourite, hands down.

Yeast Free Pizza Base

425g Flour
1tsp salt
2tsp baking powder
200mls milk
80mls olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7.
2. Combine all of the ingredients and knead the dough for 3 mins.
3. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with cling film and rest for 20 mins.

4. Divide the dough in half.
5. Roll out the dough to 5mm thickness.

6. Place on a baking tray.
7. Dress with toppings of your choice.
8. Place in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Tomato Sauce
(this recipe will yield enough to cover the 2 pizza bases from the above dough recipe)
This recipe is not from a book, it is just one that I have made to accompany the base and is to my taste.  Feel free to make any adjustments to suit your own tastes.

2tbsp Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
2tsp Dried Rosemary
350ml Tomato Passata
1tsp Sugar
Salt and Black Pepper to season

1.  Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and when it is warm add the garlic and rosemary.
2.  Allow the garlic to cook for a couple of mins to release it's flavour and then add the tomato passata.
3.  Add the sugar and stir to ensure it is evenly distributed.
4.  Turn up the heat and allow the passata to bubble, reduce the heat again and leave to simmer for at least 5 mins.
5.  When the sauce has thickened slightly taste and season with salt and pepper if required.
6.  When ready to dress the pizza base spoon on some of the tomato sauce and spread evenly over the dough stopping approx 5mm short of the edge.

I dressed my pizza with buffalo mozzerella, parma ham, black olives, green olives stuffed with pimento paste, capers and sundried tomatoes.  You can choose toppings of your choice.

Stay tuned peeps as I plan a follow up to this post over the next few days.  I'm sure you just can't wait.

Happy Birthday E (7)

A certain little someone I know is turning 7 tomorrow.  I decided to bake her a pretty little pink cake today to kick start celebrations for her birthday weekend.  She is a standard 7 year old who loves all things pretty, princess and pink so I decided to bake her a pink sponge cake with pink frosting and lashings of sparkles and prettiness.  All went well barring the colour of the sponge which remained decidedly un-pink really(after adding 6 drops of red colouring following the milk at stage 6 of the recipe I decided to call it quits and rely on pink frosting to provide a suitable princess themed cake).  It would seem sponge cake requires rather a lot more colouring than frosting and icing so next time I will lace it with the stuff.  It was a rather pretty little cake none the less and the sight of her little eyes lighting up when she saw it was approval enough for me.  Happy birthday E, have a fabulous princess day.

Madeira Cake with Pink Frosting

for the cake

175g/6oz Unsalted Butter (softened)
175g/6oz Sugar
3 Eggs
1tsp Vanilla Extract
225g/8oz Plain Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
2tbsp Milk

for the frosting

80g Butter (softened)
250g Icing Sugar
1-2drops Vanilla Extract
25ml Milk
approx 4 drops of Red Food Colouring (I used liquid colouring in this recipe)

1.  Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas 3.
2.  Line the bottom of an 8" round cake tin with grease proof paper and grease the sides with butter.
3.  Place the butter in a bowl and cream using a hand held electric whisk.
4.  Add the sugar and beat for a minute.
5.  Add the eggs individually while continuing to beat, and then add the vanilla.
6.  Fold in the sieved flour and baking powder, and then add the milk. (red food colouring was added to the mix at this stage but did not make a difference to the colour after 6 drops so was abandoned)
7.  Transfer the mixture into the prepared tin and place in the preheated oven.  Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
8.  Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
9.  While waiting for the cake to cool make the frosting.
10. Place the icing sugar and butter in a bowl and beat with a hand held electric whisk until well combined.
11. In a seperate bowl combine the milk and vanilla extract and then add to the butter mixture a couple of tablespoons at a time.
12. When all of the milk has been incorporated add in 4 drops of food colouring and then turn the whisk up to full speed and beat for at least 5 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.  (if you would like a deeper colour frosting add in more food colouring 1 drop at a time and incorporate fully before adding more)*
13. Once the cake has cooled spread the frosting all over using a spatula or palette knife and decorate to your liking.

* you can use any food colouring of your choice to adapt the cake to be suitable for a boy or an adult.  I have used liquid food colouring as it is what I had available to me but you could use paste, powder or gel colourants and adjust quantities as necessary.

A little pinktastic I know, but for a 7 yr old it was frosted perfection!