Chocolate Cake (with a twist)

Do you have kids who love the naughty foods but aren't so great with the good veg foods etc? Well a friend of mine did so when they came round we got her littleun and mine to do some baking. This recipe mixed the fun of chocolate with the goodness of the secret ingredient... Courgette/zucchini.

to make you will need

450g courgettes/zucchini, peeled

250g butter, softened

250g light brown soft sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

125ml milk

1tsp baking powder

350g self-raising flour

4tbsp cocoa powder

cake tin 30x20cm greased

Method:

Turn oven to 180c/350f/gas4.

Cut greaseproof paper to tin size to add extra protection.

Grate courgettes/zucchini finely.

Put softened butter, sugar and extract into bowl and beat with wooden spoon.

Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk with fork.

Gradually add eggs to the mixture, add the milk and whisk together.

Carefully sieve in the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder. Taking a metal spoon fold the mixture.

Spoon mix into the tin then bake for between 35 and 45 mins.

Test centre of cake with skewer and if right leave to cool.

Sit back and stuff yourself silly...

101 things to do with Blackberries

Well three things for now actually and yes I mean those lovely gleaming dark purple berries, not the latest phone!

Up at the allotment we have had a lot of blackberries come out, so far several lb’s worth and as much as I love making jam I thought I would have a look at the ‘net and see what else I could do with them.

The following are recipes and ideas pinched from Delia Smith, Ehow and Cookuk. All of them are great fun and if you have, like me, been forced to stay indoors for the min (Littleun has chickenpox) then they are also fun things that don’t take too long to do.

This dye comes out wonderfully and I have made our new altar cloth with it ready for Mabon:

Prepare the fabric by pre-soaking it in the first pot, using a fixative solution for berry dyes. See the "Tips" section for details on making this solution.

Put on rubber gloves to avoid staining your skin.

Use a measuring cup to determine how many cups of berries are to be placed in the second pot. Crush them lightly with the back of the wooden spoon. Place the pot containing the berries onto the stove.

Measure 2 times the amount of water as berries. For example, if you used 3 cups of berries, pour in 6 cups of water. Pour this water over the berries in the pot. Bring the contents to a boil, then immediately lower the heat to simmer. Wait until the water has turned a deep shade of purple. Strain the berries and discard them.

Place the damp, pre-soaked, fixative-treated fabric to be dyed into the pot. Let the fabric simmer in the dye until the desired shade is attained. Leaving it to rest in the dye overnight yields darker results. The fabric will appear lighter than the colour of the dye in the pot. Squeeze out the fabric under cool, running water and let it dry.

Tips & Warnings
If you are dyeing fabric, remember that natural fibres (as opposed to synthetic or manmade) will absorb colour better. Wool, cotton and silk are all good candidates. It helps if the fabric is already a light or neutral colour. If you choose to collect plant material in the wild, always leave at least 1/3 of the plant untouched, so it can naturally replenish itself. Always prepare fabrics to be dyed by simmering them in a "fixative" solution. The material that will be dyed should be placed in the solution and simmered for 60 minutes. Rinse the fabric in cool water and squeeze the water out 2 or 3 times. After this has been done, the damp fabric can be placed into the dye. The fixative helps the coloured dye adhere better to the fabric. To make a fixative for berry-based coloured dyes, use ½ cup plain salt mixed with 8 cups cool water.

To make a fixative for plant/herbal-based dyes, use 4 cups water and 1 cup of vinegar.

Avoid mixing dyed fabrics with your other laundry. Dyed cloth should always be laundered alone (or with similar colours) in cold water

Jam, well, just had to sneak on into the mix, yummy:

Ingredients

yield 10 lb
6 lb. blackberries1/4 pint water

Rind and juice of 2 lemons

6 lb. sugar
method

1. Put the cleaned fruit, the water and lemon rind and juice in the pan.

2. Simmer until the fruit is soft.

3. Stir in the sugar and boil rapidly until setting point is reached.

4. Remove from the heat, skim, pot, cover, and label.

This is the recipe I used for our Lammas pie, tasted so good that I didn’t get any! By the time it had done the circle and got back to me it was all gone. Just the excuse to make another:

Ingredients

For the shortcrust pastry:
6 oz (175 g) plain flour
pinch salt
1½ oz (40 g) lard
1½ oz (40 g) butter

For the filling:
4 medium cooking apples, about 1 lb (450 g)
8 oz (225 g) brambles or fresh or frozen blackberries, defrosted if frozen, and washed
3 oz (75 g) sugar

To glaze:
milk and caster sugar
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7, 425°F (220°C).

Equipment
You will also need a 1½ pint (850 ml) rimmed pie dish.

Method
Start by making the pastry : sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, holding the sieve up as high as possible to give the flour an airing. Then cut the fat into small cubes and add to the flour. Now, using your fingertips, lightly and gently rub the pieces of fat into the flour – lifting your hands up high as you do this (again to incorporate air) and being as quick as possible. When the mixture looks uniformly crumbly, start to sprinkle roughly 2 tablespoons of cold water all over. Use a round-bladed knife to start the mixing, cutting and bringing the mixture together. Carefully add more water if needed, a little at a time, then finally bring the mixture together with your hands to form a smooth ball of dough that will leave the bowl clean (if there are any bits that won't adhere to it, you need a spot more water).

Now rest the pastry, wrapped in foil or polythene, in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes while you peel, core and slice the apples straight into the pie dish. Then sprinkle in the brambles or blackberries and the sugar. Now roll out the pastry to about 1 in (2.5 cm) larger than the pie dish, then cut out a 1 in (2.5 cm) strip to fit the edge of the dish. Dampen the edge with water, then fit on the strip of pastry, pressing it firmly, and dampen that too. Then press the rest of the pastry over that to form a lid and, using a sharp knife, trim any excess pastry off. Use the blunt side of the knife and your thumb to press the two edges firmly together and knock the edges all round to give a layered effect. Then flute the edges by using your thumb to make an impression and the broad blade of the knife to draw in the edges of the pastry. Make a steam hole in the centre and, if you have time, make some decorative leaves with the pastry trimmings.
Now brush the pastry with milk and sprinkle on a light dusting of caster sugar. Place the pie on a baking sheet on a high shelf and bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to gas mark 5, 375°F (190°C), and continue baking for a further 30 minutes. Then, using a skewer, take out a piece of apple from the centre to test if it's cooked: if it still feels very firm, give it another 5 minutes. Serve hot with chilled pouring cream to mingle with the juices.

Lammas/Lughnasadh: Courgette (Zucchini) Chutney Recipe

Sorry it’s yet another recipe day...

I like to make things (just in case you hadn’t already noticed that!) and definitely enjoy cooking as it’s both a great thing to do for your health and for the family unit to be together. Apart from our crafty things food is a big part of our life, from the planting and growing to the wondering what on earth we will be doing with all the crops we have managed to get.

This year, as in previous, we have a mass of courgettes and tomatoes. So I have again decided to make a chutney, lasts a long time and is something most people like so makes great gifts. It will also go well for our Lammas feast as an alternative to the rhubarb relish for the cheeses.

To make the chutney you will need:
4 lb courgettes
2lb 8oz onions
2lb 8oz brown sugar
Large piece of fresh ginger
1/2 tspn pepper
2 pints malt vinegar
2 heads of garlic
2lb 8oz tomatoes
1 tspn cayenne pepper
2 tspn salt
6 1lb sterilised jars and vinegar proof lids or parfait/kilner

Chop all the vegetables, add vinegar, sugar and spices and bring slowly to the boil, stirring now and again. If the courgettes have a tough skin, you can peel them and compost the skins.
Simmer for about two hours (don't forget to stir as it will stick) until thick.
Pour into heated jars and seal.

Needs at least 3 months to mature, which is why I, Blue Peter style, am using one I made earlier!

4 days to go yippee...

Recipe from allotment.org.uk

Strawberry Jam

Oh where has this week gone? I turn around intending to keep up a regular post and oops suddenly the joys of being outside has meant a whole week has passed!

One of the things we have done a fair bit of this last couple of weeks is make jams. Littleun is a strawberry addict, he enjoys everything to do with them from picking to munching as long as there can be a bit of cooking in between with them then happy days. As such, with the strawberry season in full flow, we headed off to the local PYO which is nicely hidden away so always has lots of juicy red gems.

Having picked our fruits we headed back home to dig out the jam boiler. You will need 1kg of sugar to every kilo of strawberries, Lemons and butter.

First you need to wash the strawberries and hull them, cutting out any overripe or bad/bruised parts. Then I like to cut them in half or quarters, put them in the pan with about half the sugar and leave them overnight. this gives them chance to break down a bit and seems to work better for me when starting the boiling process the next day.

Now this is something that obviously gets hot so if like me you have a littleun keen to help but also on the clumsy side you can get them drawing the labels whilst the boiling happens. You also need to sort out your jars and sterilize them. This can be done by washing them in hot soapy water and then rinsing thoroughly before putting them into the oven on a low temp for about ½ hour. Wash lids and boil.

Slowly bring to the boil so the sugar dissolves, then add the rest. You will also need to add pectin if you aren't using the pectin-added sugars but are using ordinary granulated. Pectin is something you can buy in jars (normally made in that case from apples) or you can use lemon juice. Once the sugar is completely dissolved bring to a roiling boil and stir to stop the bottom burning out. You can add a knob of butter to help reduce the frothing. Boil rapidly for 10-15 mins and then test for setting.

To test for setting you need to have put a plate in the chiller. Take the cold plate out and drop a bit of the jam onto it, if after a min or so you run your finger through it and it is wrinkly like a jelly then it is set, if it doesn't do that then you need to return to the boil for a bit longer, testing every few mins until reached.

When set, leave to cool for a few mins, stir a bit to mix any fruits evenly. Pour into warm sterilized jars and the add the wax disks leaving to cool. When cool use cellophane disks to seal tops and the lids.

Of course once you get going if you are like us you'll end up with tons of jams from all fruits. Looking forward to making some with the blackberries we currently have growing on the allotment.

Eostre; Hot cross Buns

Well February went quickly! Happy St Davids day to the Welsh.

Right onto Hot Cross Buns. Whether the origin of these buns is Christian or Pagan doesn’t change the fact that they are rather scrummy and good fun to make with your Littleuns. The local supermarkets and bakers will have them if you really don’t want to make them but if like us you like a challenge and getting a little mucky then here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

For the ferment starter
1 large free-range egg, beaten

215ml/7½fl oz warm water
15g/½oz fresh yeast1 tsp sugar
55g/2oz strong white flour


For the dough

450g/1lb strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground mixed spice
85g/3oz unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing
85g/3oz sugar
1 lemon, zest only
170g/6oz mixed dried fruit


For the topping

2 tbsp plain flour
vegetable oil, for greasing
1 tbsp golden syrup, gently heated, for glazing

Method
1. For the ferment starter, mix the beaten egg with enough warm water to make up approximately 290ml/½ pint of liquid.

2. Whisk in the yeast, sugar and flour until the mixture is smooth and well combined, then cover and set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes.

3. For the dough, sieve the flour, salt and ground mixed spice into a large mixing bowl, then rub in the butter using your fingertips. Make a well in the centre of the mixture, then add the sugar and lemon zest to the well and pour in the ferment starter.

4. With your hands, gradually draw the flour at the edges of the bowl into the well in the centre, mixing well with the ferment starter, until the mixture comes together as a dough.

5. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly until smooth and elastic.

6. Carefully work the mixed dried fruit into the dough until well combined.

7. Grease a large, warm mixing bowl with butter. Shape the dough into a ball and place it into the prepared bowl, then cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm place for one hour to prove.

8. Turn out the proved dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knock back the dough. Shape it into a ball again and return it to the bowl, then cover again with the tea towel and set aside for a further 30 minutes to rise.

9. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten slightly into a bun shape using the palms of your hands. Cover the buns again with the tea towel and set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes.

10. Grease a baking tray with butter and transfer the buns to the tray. Cut a cross in each bun, almost cutting all the way through the dough, so that each bun is almost cut into quarters.

11. Wrap the tray with the buns on it loosely in greaseproof paper, then place inside a large polythene bag. Tie the end of the bag tightly so that no air can get in and set aside in a warm place for a further 40 minutes to rise.

12. Preheat the oven to 240C/475F/Gas 8.

13. Meanwhile, for the topping, mix the plain flour to a smooth paste with two tablespoons of cold water.

14. When the buns have risen, remove the polythene bag and the greaseproof paper. Spoon the flour mixture into a piping bag and pipe a cross over the cuts in each bun.

15. Transfer the buns to the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes, or until risen and pale golden-brown. As soon as you remove the buns from the oven, brush them with the hot golden syrup, then set aside to cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday

Ok so I’m not Christian and therefore have no religious excuse such as Lent to make pancakes, we just love them. You can make savoury or sweet pancakes with fillings such as spinach and feta or lemon and sugar/jam or my favourite, nutella chocolate spread.

To make a basic pancake mixture you will need;

100g plain flour
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
300ml of milk
Oil for frying

Put the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Crack the eggs into the middle then pour some of the milk in to make a smooth paste. Once you have the paste whisk in the remaining milk until you have a batter that is slightly thicker than single cream. Wipe out a non stick frying pan with a little oil and heat until hot. Ladle in some batter tilting the pan for a thin and even layer. Cook until bottom is golden brown and then turn over (if like me you’re bonkers and brave trying tossing but be warned floors will get their unfair share till you get the hang of it!). Spread your filling inside and continue this until you have eaten your fill!

Random pancake facts:

The tradition of eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday is nearly 1000 years old.

The first recorded pancake race was in Olney, Buckinghamshire in 1445.

The largest number of pancakes tossed in the shortest amount of time in the UK is 349 tosses in

2 minutes (Dean Gould, Felixstowe, 14 Jan 1995).

The longest race in the quickest time was held in Melbourne, Australia. Jan Stickland covered 384m in 59.5 seconds on 19 February 1985.

The largest pancake ever made and flipped measured 15.01m wide, 2.5cm deep and weighed 3 tonnes (Rochdale, Greater Manchester, August 1994).

It is customary in France to touch the handle of the frying pan and make a wish while the pancake is turned, holding a coin in one hand.

Maple Syrup was originally a sweet drink, discovered by the Algonquin Indians who collected sap from Canadian sugar maple trees and then boiled it to produce 1 litre of pure Maple Syrup from 40 litres of sap

He tries well

Littleun snuck downstairs today. Something he does quite often but normally it wakes me up so I know he’s done it. It’s quite funny to watch, imagine a 1950’s cartoon of a bank robber, high on the tiptoes carrying swag over the shoulder which in this case is actually his toys bundled up inside his blanket, taking exaggerated paces trying to avoid all the creaking floorboards before giving up and jumping the last few stairs into the front room. He has learnt that the tv makes a loud noise when he turns it on (I deliberately leave the volume setting high) and so he has managed to find out how to mute it as soon as possible.

Now before you wonder why I have a problem with this I’ll just remind you that the house is still in areas a hardhat building site.

Today though was different, he didn’t wake me up. The first I knew about him getting there was when I was poked in the arm, quite hard I might add, and a whisper in the ear telling me to “wake up mummy”. Turns out he thought he would make me breakfast. This is his first time unattended at doing so and he wanted to explain what it was he had done: “toast mummy, but not cooked”, “jam” already sampled judging by his face, “Orange juice” in the special “don’t touch ever mummy, Toy Story cup”, “cereal” otherwise known as cats biscuits think he might have got the two jars mixed up, “yucky yoghurt” prune flavour been stuck in the fridge for weeks as I keep forgetting about it, “nana’s, one for you and two for me” and lastly “crisps”.

Not too bad I think, might point him towards the laundry and see if he fancies doing that whilst I sleep....