Irish Foodies January 2011 Cookalong

I'm back!  I know I have been missing in action since the Christmas period so apologies.  I hope you all enjoyed the festive season.  I had a lovely(and tiring) time with family and friends and more food than one person should consume in such a condensed time frame.  I am still feeling the effects of it now but am going to make a big effort to get back into my blogging mojo over the next few days.

As it is the 1st Friday of the month it is time for the Irish Foodies cookalong.  The theme this month is budget or leftover cooking following the excesses of Christmas.  I stocked up on dried fruit before Christmas, I think I was expecting armageddon or something the amount of it I bought so I decided to put it to good use.  As I have a penchant for baking I also have oodles of flour knocking about the presses so I settled for a nice fruit soda bread.  I thought this fitted the bill perfectly for January as it is easy to mix up, is not too naughty but has a hint of sweetness to make the transition from Christmas treats back to healthy eating a little more bearable.

Fruit Soda Bread
This recipe yields 2 x 1lb loaves

450g/1lb Wholemeal Flour
450g/1lb Plain Flour
1.5tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1tsp Salt
50g/2oz Candied Peel
50g/2oz Crystallised Ginger
50g/2oz Currants
50g/2oz Golden Raisins
50g/2oz Sultanas
600ml/1pint Buttermilk

1.  Grease to 1lb loaf tins and preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas Mark 7.
2.  Sieve the flours, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large bowl.  Add the dried fruits and toss in the flour mix until evenly distributed.
3.  Make a well in the centre and gradually pour in the buttermilk and mix to form a dough.
4.  Divide the dough between the two loaf tins, flour a large knife and cut a line down the centre.  Place into the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
5.  Turn upside down and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes.  To test if it is cooked tap the base, if it sounds hollow it is ready.
6.  Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Note:
The Irish tradition is to form the dough into a round loaf, cut a cross in the top and then stab each quarter with a knife to kill the fairies within.  I would like to assure you all that no fairies were harmed in the making of these loaves.  Sure why would you want to kill some lovely little fairies, wah?!

Christmas Cake Cookies

If you are a regular reader of this blog you may have picked up on the fact that I am not a huge fan of dried fruit.  I can tolerate it, sometimes I quite fancy a fruit scone. Given the choice though, chocolate or creamy desserts always come out on top for me.  However, I am rather partial to an oatmeal cookie with my Butler's hot chocolate.  The cookies are rather substantial in size with a perfect chewy consistency and are perfect on a cold winters day, it's spices warming you from within.

As I soaked some fruit for a Christmas cake mixture the other night I remembered the Butler's cookie and wondered would it be possible to create something similar but with a festive twist.  I find that Christmas cake can be a little fruit heavy and wanted a lighter alternative to enjoy while faces are stuffed with cake and pudding on the big day.  I sat and scribbled in my notebook that evening and came up with a recipe I thought would work.  I busied myself in the kitchen this afternoon testing out my efforts and I am more than pleased with the end result.  So happy in fact that I scoffed two in quick succession and my brain has been monopolised with thoughts of a third ever since.

These cookies are the perfect baking exercise for a snowy Sunday afternoon.  I highly recommend eating while still warm from the oven, accompanied by a steaming mug of hot chocolate; or allow them to cool and serve with a glass of milk.  They are delicious either way, that is why I had to eat two, so that I could inform you accurately.  It's tough but I have to do it for the greater good of cookie lovers everywhere.  Enjoy!

Christmas Cake Cookies
(Makes 12 large cookies)

110g/4oz Unsalted Butter, softened
170g/6oz Dark Brown Sugar
0.25tsp Salt
1 Large Egg
1tsp Vanilla Extract
2tbsp Water
2tbsp Brandy
2tbsp Treacle
90g/3oz Plain Flour
0.5tsp Baking Powder
0.5tsp Baking Soda
1tsp Ground Cinnamon
0.5tsp Mixed Spice
0.5tsp Ground Nutmeg
100g/3.5oz Oatmeal Flakes
30g/1oz Crystallised Ginger, finely chopped
40g/1.33oz Raisins
40g/1.33oz Sultanas
40g/1.33oz Currants
40g/1.33oz Dried Cranberries
50g/1.66oz Almonds, blanched and chopped

1.  Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
2.  Line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper.

3.  In a large bowl cream together the butter, sugar and salt, with an electric whisk, until smooth.  Add the egg, vanilla, water, brandy and treacle and whisk to combine.  The mixture might seem quite wet and runny don't worry, this is exactly how it should be.
4.  Sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices into the wet ingredients.  Add the oat flakes and gently fold in. 
5.  Add the crystallised ginger(toss this in a little flour to stop it sticking together and sinking), dried fruit and nuts and mix to distribute evenly.  The mixture may still seem quite wet at this stage but it will be fine.
6.  Using an ice cream scoop place level scoops of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets approximately 1.5" apart(they will spread in the oven).  Flatten the tops slightly with the back of a wet spoon.

7.  Place into the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.  The cookies should still be slightly wobbly when they come out of the oven but with a thin, crisp shell.  They will firm up slightly as they cool, but will remain moist and chewy on the inside.  Allow to cool for 10 mins on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container(if they last long enough to be stored that is).

Mam's Christmas Pudding

My brain has become a little fazzled of late thinking up new recipes and dreaming up ways to improve some oldies but goodies.  I also have writers cramp from scribbling in my blog notebook.  I have pages of yummy things to try out and I just wish I could grow another me to make it possible, but I will eventually get around to trying them all out soon.  For this reason when it came to developing my own recipe for Christmas pudding my brain just point blank refused to work.  Normally this would bother me, I would sit pen in hand until driven with distraction and the task was finished but I decided to take the 'life's too short' approach this time.  Christmas is not too far away and the puddings need a bit of time to mature, and had I forced the task at hand I would not have enjoyed it and mixed my puddings with a bad heart, and we all know you can't make a cake with a bad heart.  It just won't taste good.  I swear.

I decided I would stick with my mam's recipe as it is well tried and tested.  I combined all of the ingredients on Wednesday and left them to sit overnight to thicken.  Every time I walked into the kitchen I was assaulted by the aroma of Christmas, and I couldn't help but sneak a peak under the tea towel every now and then.  Last night I added the Guinness and myself and Mr. Boo both stirred the mix 3 times towards our hearts before making a wish.

It was tradition in our house that the puddings could not be cooked unless everyone who lived in the house had made a wish.  I'm not entirely sure where the tradition originated but I do remember that even when I was too small to stir the mixture by myself my mam or dad would help me and I would make my wish.  I wouldn't dream of ever skipping this vital step.  I am sure it will have no bearing on the taste of the finished article but I almost feel as though I am stirring through some Christmas magic with each turn of the wooden spoon and I wouldn't dare risk leaving that out.  We all need a little Christmas magic in our lives so go on, gather everyone around and one by one stir 3 times towards your heart and make a special wish. 

I would love to hear if you had this tradition in your house or any other Christmas pudding traditions.  Please leave me a comment as I love to hear from you.

xxx

Mam's Christmas Pudding
(makes 2 puddings)

175g/6oz Self -Raising Flour
1 level tsp Mixed Spice
1 level tsp Ground Cinnamon
0.5 level tsp Ground Nutmeg
225g/8oz White Breadcrumbs
350g/12oz Dark Brown Sugar
450g/1lb Currants
225g/8oz Raisins
225g/8oz Sultanas
125g/4oz Mixed Cut Peel
125g/4oz Glaze Cherries(halved)
50g/2oz Almonds(blanched and chopped)
Finely grated rind of 1 Orange
Finely grated rind of 1 Lemon
225g/8oz Margarine(melted)*
3 large Eggs(lightly beaten)*
2tbsp Brandy*
275ml/0.5pint Guinness(or other stout)

*beat this ingredients together

Firstly I am going to give you some tips before I start into the instructions:

It is very important to be organised when making Christmas cakes and puddings to avoid it becoming stressful.  There are quite a few ingredients so I find measuring everything in at the same time a having it ready to go into the bowl at the same time really helps.  Once the ingredients are measured the rest is a doddle.

The bread needs to be slightly stale to make the breadcrumbs but if you have forgotten to buy it in advance you can pop fresh bread into the oven on a low heat (approx. 100C) for 15mins to dry it out.  It is important that there is no moisture in the bread to prevent mould forming.

Toss your glace cherries in some flour before adding to the mix to stop them sinking to the bottom.

When adding the dry fruit to the flour mix I find it easier to add each item individually and tossing it gently in the flour to evenly distribute, if you just dump it all in and then add the wet ingredients it can mean some extra elbow grease is needed to mix it all well.

Enjoy it.  I find it very relaxing and the wonderful aroma of the spices and zest and alcohol just scream Christmas so don't do it when you are stressed and rushing, allow it the time it deserves and savour the Christmas spirit.

1.  Sieve the flour and spices into a large bowl.
2.  Add the breadcrumbs, sugar, prepared fruit, nuts, lemon and orange zest and mix thoroughly.

3.  Make a well in the centre then pour in the melted margarine and beaten egg and brandy mixture.  Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

4.  Cover and leave to stand overnight to thicken.
5.  The next day add the Guinness and mix thoroughly again. ( It's at this stage you make your wish)

6.  Grease 2 x 2 pint/1.1lt pudding bowls.
7.  Cut 2 large circles of grease proof paper for the top of each bowl, grease the bottom layer well and make pleats cross wise in the paper.
8.  Cut a large circle of foil for each bowl and make pleats cross wise in it.

For each pudding you will need:

1 x 2pint/1.1lt Pudding Bowl(greased)

2 x Circles of Greaseproof Paper(1 greased)

1 x Circle of Tin Foil

1 x Large Elastic Band

Twine

9.  Place the mixture into the prepared bowls.

10.Cover each bowl with two layers of grease proof paper(make sure the greased sheet is greased side down on top of the bowl).  Secure in place with some twine or a large elastic band.  Pull tight across the top of the bowl.

I usually cut the paper a little too big and trim

when it is secured in place.

11.Place a layer of tinfoil over the grease proof paper and again secure with twine or a large elastic band.  Pull tight across the top of the bowl.

You may also like to trim your tin foil when

secured in place.

12.Place the lid firmly on the bowl.

13.Tie some twine around the bowl(as if tying up a parcel) and secure on top of the bowl with a loop to make it easier to lift the bowl from the pot when cooked.

14.Place a small clean cloth(this stops the saucer moving around with the simmering water and making noise) into the bottom of a large pot and sit an upturned saucer on top.

15.Sit the pudding bowl on top of the saucer and pour boiling water into the pot until it comes half way up the sides of the bowl.

16.Cover with a tight fitting lid and boil for 6 hours.  (check occasionally to ensure the level of the water hasn't dropped, top up if needed)

17.When the puddings are cooked, remove carefully from the pot and allow to cool completely.
18.When cold remove the damp papers and recover with fresh double grease proof paper(not greased) and store in a cool dry place.

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.