Sylvia’s Lemon Drizzle Bread

In the early 1980’s our church home bible study group used to meet at Sylvia’s house and sometimes she made us cake to go with our tea and coffee.  This was one of our favourites and I managed to get her to let me have the recipe.  I love the mixture of Orange and Lemon zests that flavour the cake, as well as the crunchy sticky lemony topping and moist inside. 

Sylvia always called it Lemon Bread, but as it is so similar to Lemon Drizzle Cake, I have slightly amended her title.  Be sure to pour the topping over as soon as the cake comes out of the oven: it will not be absorbed properly if the cake is allowed to cool.

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Sylvia’s Lemon Drizzle Bread
(Makes 1 x 2lb loaf)

8ozs/225g caster sugar
3ozs/85g soft margerine
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Grated rind of 1 orange
1 large egg, beaten
8ozs/225g plain flour
1 level tsp/5g baking powder
¼pint/5 fl ozs/140ml milk
For the topping:
Juice of 1 lemon
1tbsp/15g caster sugar

1.  Line the tin with baking parchment.  Pre-heat the oven to 180^oC/170^oC Fan/350^oF/Gas 4

2.  Beat the caster sugar and margerine until well combined.  The mixture will look like dessicated coconut when it is fully combined. 

3.  Beat in the lemon and orange rind along with the beaten egg.

4.  Sift the flour and baking powder together and stir them into the mixture with the milk.

5.  Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake on the centre shelf of a moderate oven for 70-90 minutes.

6.  While it is cooking, make the topping: squeeze the lemon juice and mix with the caster sugar.

7.  Remove the cake from the oven and immediately take it from the tin and peel away the parchment.  Place the cake on a wire rack with a plate underneath to catch any lemon topping drips.

8.  Carefully pierce the top surface of the cake with a thin skewer (or a fork).  Slowly and carefully pour over the lemon topping, allowing it to soak into the surface rather than run off onto the plate.  Any that does run onto the plate can be poured back into the jug and then over the cake again.

9.  Leave to cool thoroughly before serving.  The lemon topping should have penetrated well into the cake which will be moist and lemony.  Although it is called bread it does not need butter, however it would be extra delicious spread with home made Lemon Curd.

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Fragrant Marmalade Cake

This recipe, originally called Tilley’s Marmalade Cake, was passed on by my mother-in-law who got it from a friend: I have no idea who Tilley was, by the way, or where the recipe originated.  However his, or her, cake is delicious and a firm favourite.  The original recipe is fairly basic and has seen a few personal adaptations since it was originally given to me.  I have changed the title to reflect the addition of orange flower water, which I love and which turns this cake into something an extra bit special.

I know I make my own marmalade but it is precious and mostly gets saved for enjoying on toast: for this recipe I buy a jar of chunky marmalade from the supermarket.  There are three main changes I have made to the recipe.  Firstly, I am more generous with the marmalade, replacing the original two tablespoons with three generous ones: it would not be wrong to add four!  Secondly, I add the zest of an orange, to supplement the chunks in the marmalade.  Finally I add some orange flower water which pervades the whole cake with a delicate perfume.  I stopped short of using some of the orange juice to mix the cake in place of milk as the orange flower water already gives a strong flavour.  In addition, if I choose to ice the cake I use a little orange flower water to mix the icing, making the quantity up with water.  I have given no amounts for the icing as it depends on the proportions of the cake and the thickness of icing wanted.  Decorate the cake with a few strands of orange zest: which can be crystallised if you wish.

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Fragrant Marmalade Cake

6ozs/170g soft margerine
4ozs/115g sugar
2 eggs
zest of 1 orange
3 generous tbsp Marmalade
2tsp orange flower water (or more, maximum of 1tbsp or it will be overpowering)
6ozs/170g self raising flour
2 tbsp milk
Icing (optional)
Icing sugar
½tsp orange flower water plus additional water to mix

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 180^oC/350^oF/Gas 4.  Line a 6-8inch (15-20cm) round cake tin or a 2lb loaf tin.

2.  Cream together the margerine and the sugar until well combined and fluffy.

3.  Break the eggs into a jug, mix with a fork and add a little at a time to the bowl, mixing in well.

4.  Wash the orange well and remove the zest.  Reserve a little zest to decorate if you wish.  Stir in the zest, marmalade and orange flower water and mix well.

5.  Sift the flour into the mixture and fold in gently.

6.  Gently fold in the milk and spoon into the prepared cake tin.

7.  Bake in the centre of the oven for 50-60minutes or until the centre is cooked (a skewer inserted into the cake will come out clean).

8.  Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

9.  When completely cool combine the icing sugar and orange flower water with enough water to make a thick spreadable mixture and use this to cover the cake.  Decorate with a little orange zest if you wish.  This zest can be candied in advance by gently cooking in a little sugar and water for about 5 minutes and removing from the liquid.  Once it is completely cool and dry it can be used to decorate the cake.

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‘Oxford’ (& ‘Cambridge’) Style Seville Marmalades

Oranges, being expensive to import, were considered a luxury around 200years ago when the tradition of marmalade making was first recorded.  Seville marmalade oranges, which are small and slightly bitter, are available for just a few short weeks in the early part of each year and are not always easy to find: I usually look for them around my birthday in mid-February. Home made marmalade cannot be beaten, despite it being rather labour intensive, but it is definitely worth the effort.  Just play some favourite music or find something good on the radio to make the squeezing and chopping more enjoyable.  My book contains two almost identical recipes: a light coloured one, called Seville Orange Marmalade and the second, a variation of the same recipe, called Dark Seville Marmalade.  I discovered in other books that this second one, which is much darker in colour and always chunky, is often called ‘Oxford’ marmalade as it was first made and sold there, being popular with the university dons and students.  Followers of the Oxford v Cambridge University boat race will be aware that the team colours are dark blue for Oxford and light blue for Cambridge.  With this in mind, I have named the lighter colour ‘Cambridge’ marmalade, though I am aware that marmalade is not blue – or especially connected to Cambridge!

The recipe, which I have adapted for both types of marmalade, comes from my well used jam and pickle book: Home Preserves by Jackie Burrow.  I found that 1½kg/3lb of Seville oranges yielded a too large quantity for my biggest pan, so I divided the mixture between two big pans after the initial cooking time before adding half the sugar to each pan. (This involved straining off the cooked peel as well as dividing the liquid.)  The treacle needed to give a darker colour to Oxford marmalade was added to just one pan.  Some Oxford marmalade recipes also add root ginger, up to 60g/2ozs (depending on personal taste) is suggested for the amount of oranges in my recipe.  As with jams, marmalade cooked for too long can take on a tainted burned flavour.  Dividing the mixture helped it to cook down to setting point quicker, so for this reason I may take this step again in future.  Marmalade making is not a short job, so make sure you allow plenty of time.  The original recipe said it would take 2 hours to cook but my total making and cooking time was nearer 5 hours, although this did include the time taken to divide the mixture into two pans, however once the marmalade is cooking it does not need constant watching.  If you have freezer space, Seville oranges freeze well so they can be used at times when normally unavailable.

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‘Oxford’ (& ‘Cambridge’) style Seville Marmalade
(Makes around 8 x 1lb jars)

1½kg/3lb Seville oranges
2 lemons
3½litres/6pints water
3¾kg/6lb sugar (if making just ‘Oxford’ marmalade then use brown sugar)
2 x 15ml (tablespoons)  black treacle (‘Oxford’ marmalade only)
Up to 60g/2ozs root ginger, peeled & chopped/grated (personal preference) to taste – see above

1.  Wash the oranges and lemons, halve and squeeze out the juice and pour into a large pan.  Put the pips into a muslin bag (I use the cut off foot and lower leg from a clean pair of old tights) and tie so it dangles into the juice in the pan.

2.  Slice the orange and lemon peel into shreds, thickness according to personal taste although traditional Oxford marmalade is very chunky. Add the shreds to the pan, pour in the water and bring to the boil. (If I was adding root ginger, which is not in the original recipe, I would add it at the same time as the peel.) 

3.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 1½hours or until the peels are very soft.  Remove the bag of pips, squeezing well so all the juice drops back into the pan. (Try using this between two spoons as the mixture will be hot.)  This is to allow the pectin contained in the pips to help the marmalade to set.  (It was at this point that I divided the mixture between two pans, straining the peels and liquid so they could be divided more equally.)

4.  Put some saucers in the freezer to chill.  These will be needed when the marmalade is checked to see if it has reached setting point. 

5.  Add the sugar (and treacle if you are making Oxford style marmalade) and stir well over a low heat until dissolved.  Boil rapidly until setting point is reached – a teaspoon of mixture placed on a chilled saucer will wrinkle when pushed with a finger.  Remove any scum that has collected – some people do this by adding a knob of butter but I have not found it to be successful.

6.  Allow the mixture to cool slightly before potting.   While it is cooling, wash the jars well and sterlise.  I usually do this by filling the jars with boiling water and putting the lids in a bowl of boiling water.  I pour away the water just before filling each jar and immediately take the lid from the bowl and screw  it on.

7.  Pour into the prepared jars, cover, wipe if needed and label.

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Tandoori Chicken & Makkhani Murghi (Tandoori Chicken in a Butter Sauce)

One of my favourite ways to entertain friends is to cook Indian style meals and often Makkhani Murghi is the main dish.  It has the advantage not only of being delicious but also being very simple, a definite bonus if you are making a number of other dishes to accompany it, as well as thinking about a suitable dessert course (and sometimes a starter as well).  It is a great way of transforming simply cooked Tandoori chicken with a rich buttery tomato sauce.

It comes from my much loved and much used book Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cookery.  In the book this recipe follows on from one for home-made Tandoori chicken.   When I entertain, I often make the Tandoori chicken from scratch the day before using Madhur Jaffrey’s original recipe which I have also added further down this page but, especially if I am just cooking the dish for day-to-day consumption, I pre-marinade the chicken in a mixture of the Tandoori Masala spice powder and yoghurt and oven bake for about 30minutes.  Both are versions which do not need the traditional Tandoor oven: not a common piece of kitchen equipment here in the UK!  I then follow Madhur’s original rich and calorie laden recipe for Makkhani Murghi fairly faithfully.  However, I also make a ‘cheats’ quick and less authentic everyday version of Makkhani Murghi by cutting some corners with the method and ingredients.  In the simpler version I usually use chicken thighs and I also use milk, or a mixture of milk and cream, which gives a thinner but quite satisfactory ‘everyday’ sauce and much less butter. (It is worth cooking this everyday sauce a little longer to reduce it so it is less thin.)  It is a much less rich, in fact, a different dish, but still tasty.  The original recipe uses ghee, which is clarified Indian butter, but  I successfully use ordinary salted butter.  Madhur Jaffrey recommends that the butter should be folded into the sauce at the last moment to prevent it separating.  I would recommend adding the fresh coriander at the last minute as well.  (See No. 5 below for serving and menu ideas.)

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Makkhani Murghi
Tandoori Chicken in a Butter Sauce
(Serves 4-6)

Tandoori chicken cut into 1-2inch (2.5-5cm) pieces from 2½lb (1kg 125g) skinned chicken pieces (legs or breasts – thighs for everyday meals)

4tbsp tomato paste
8fl ozs (225ml) water
1inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
10fl oz/300ml single cream (Elmlea low fat) – 5fl oz/150ml milk for everyday version
1tsp garam masala
½tsp salt
¼tsp sugar
1 small green chilli, seeded & very finely chopped
¼tsp cayenne pepper
4tsp lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
1tsp ground roasted cumin seeds (or a generous ½tsp cumin powder)
4oz/100g unsalted butter (I usually use about half this quantity so it is less oily)
1tbps chopped fresh coriander, more if you wish

If using Tandoori Masala spice mix marinade then the following should be added:
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1.  Gradually mix the tomato paste into the water, blending them well together.  To this tomato mixture add the ginger, cream and/or milk, garam masala, salt, sugar, green chilli, cayenne pepper, lemon juice and cumin and mix well.

2.  Melt the butter in a wide sauté pan. 
For Tandoori Masala marinaded chicken: Once the butter has melted  the onion and garlic should be fried gently until softened, then add the sauce and bring to a simmer.
For Tandoori chicken made from scratch: Once the butter has melted add the sauce and bring to a simmer. 

3.  Stir until the butter is well mixed into the sauce.  (Do not let the sauce boil, especially if you are using cream.)

4.  Add the pre-cooked chicken, but not any collected chicken juices which would thin the sauce. Mix in the fresh coriander. Stir until the meat is thoroughly heated through, which takes just a few minutes and serve.

5.  Put the chicken onto a serving dish.  The sauce should be spooned over.  Garnish with a little more fresh coriander if you wish.

5.  Serve with boiled rice, Onion Rice Pilaf (or similar) , naan breads or paratha roti , a vegetable side dish and poppadums.  When entertaining, along with poppadums and a rice or bread, I usually add some or all of these depending on the number of guests: a simple Masoor Dhal (Red Lentils) (or other bean or lentil dish), raita, vegetable curries and/or onion bhajis , lime pickle , mango chutney and a relish (often chopped tomato/onion/cucumber mix with a sprinkling of cayenne and fresh chopped coriander).  I add a substantial meat/fish free dish as well if I am catering for a vegetarian.

Tandoori Chicken – without a Tandoor Oven
(Serves 4-6)

1.25kg/2½lb skinned chicken pieces,legs and/or breasts or breast fillets
1 tsp salt
3tbsp lemon juice

To marinade
450ml/¾pt plain yoghurt
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2.5cm/1inch piece fresh root ginger, grated
1 green chilli, chopped – remove seeds for less heat
2tsp garam masala
lime or lemon wedges, to serve

Method
1. Cut the chicken legs into two pieces and breasts into four. Make two deep cross cut slits on the thick parts of each leg and breast.  The slits should not reach the edges and should be cut down to the bone. Spread the chicken pieces out on two large baking dishes. Sprinkle half the salt and half the lemon juice onto one side and rub in well.  Repeat for the second side with the remaining salt and lemon juice. Leave for 20 minutes.

2. For the marinade:
Blend the yoghurt, onion, garlic, ginger, chilli and garam masala until smooth using a blender or food processor.  If you wish, strain through a coarse sieve into a large bowl, pushing through as much liquid as you can, but I often omit this stage.

3. Put the chicken and the juices that have accumulated into the bowl with the marinade.  Rub the marinade well into the slits in the meat.  Cover and refrigerate overnight or a little longer if possible: 8-24 hours.

4.  Preheat the oven to its maximum temperature and put a shelf in the highest part of the oven where it is hottest. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and spread them out in a single layer on a large, shallow, baking tray. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until thoroughly cooked.

5.  Lift the chicken pieces out of their juices. Serve with lemon or lime wedges or use to make Makkhani Murghi, as above.

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Onion Rice Pilaf

Plain boiled rice is a usual and perfectly satisfactory accompaniment for Indian food but a Pilaf or Pilaff (or Pilau as it sometimes appears on menus) is so much better: fragrant rather than hot and especially good when entertaining.  This method is very simple and it combined well with the Makkhani Murghi (Tandoori Chicken in a Butter Sauce) it accompanied: a favourite chicken dish I often serve when entertaining.  I am sure I will be making this Pilaf rice regularly from now on. 

The original recipe comes from Nigella Lawson’s book Feast: Food that Celebrates Life, which was one of my Christmas presents.  The original title is Pilaff for a Curry Banquet.  I always use my rice cooker when cooking rice but this time I followed the recipe method and made the pilaf on the stove top which was very simple and straightforward.  I am sure it could be easily adapted for a rice cooker, unless of course you are using this for plain boiled rice, as suggested in the original recipe as an alternative extra dish.   I have recently been watching repeats of the television programmes that accompany Keith Floyd’s book Floyd around India and took his advice to use red onions in Indian dishes as they are sweeter.  They also added a lovely pink hue to what could be a very white dish.  Rather than a tea towel, I used a clean square dish cloth to cover and help seal the pan as it seemed a better fit.  I suggest that this step is not left out as I think it does help to seal in the heat and moisture as the rice rests, stopping it from drying out.  I have also increased the onion and some of the spices a little as we like a more pronounced flavour.  We love Nigella seed (also called Kalonji, which can be bought in ethnic grocery shops and large supermarkets).  Our local Turkish bakery uses it, along with sesame seeds, on top of their bread and it is delicious!  The original recipe says it is optional, but do try to get it if at all possible.

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Rice Pilaf(Serves 8)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, finely chopped (I used red onion)
2 cloves
4-6 cardamom pods, crushed
1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
½tsp whole cumin seeds
1tsp nigella (kalonji) seeds, (optional in the original recipe, but well worth including)
1lb 2ozs/500g basmati rice
1¾pints/1litre chicken (or vegetable) stock
2ozs/50g flaked almonds, toasted, to garnish
3tbsp chopped fresh coriander, to garnish

1.  Heat the oil in a deep saucepan and gently fry the onion, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, and nigella seeds for about 10 minutes or until the onion is soft and lightly browned.

2.  At this point the mixture could be transferred to a rice cooker and the method continued as follows:

3.  Stir the rice into the oily spiced onion until it is thoroughly covered. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over the lowest heat possible for 20 minutes. (For rice cooker, use ‘cook’ setting until liquid has evaporated and the machine goes to the very low ‘keep’ setting.)

4.  Turn off the heat, take the lid off, cover with a tea towel and clamp the lid back on the saucepan.  With the rice cooker this can be done when it has reached the ‘keep’ setting. The rice can be rested like this for at least 10 minutes and up to about 1 hour, so it can be made a little ahead of time if entertaining.

5.  Just before serving, fork the rice through and scatter the toasted flaked almonds and chopped fresh coriander on top.  It is not necessary to remove the larger pieces of spice before serving, although you may prefer not to eat the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick and cloves.

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Onion Bhajis

Crisp outside, spicy and soft inside, Onion Bhajis are delicious: fried onions with a twist.  When we visit an Indian restaurant it is not unusual for all of us to order them as a starter or to accompany the main course.  I have seen packets of ready mix in supermarkets and local ethnic shops, but I hadn’t realised just how easy they were to make until I found this recipe: simply spoonfuls of fried, spicy diced onion and chick pea (besan/gram) flour batter mixture. I shall definitely be making these now when I serve Indian style food to friends.

The recipe comes from a library book Curry: Easy Recipes for all your favourites by Sunil Vijayakar, which has a good selection of uncomplicated sounding recipes. It is better if the onion is chopped fairly finely (but not very finely) and the batter quite thick so that the mixture does not easily fall apart when being cooked. I also found that putting the mixture in the fridge to chill for a while helped them to hold together, a bit like Salt Fish Cakes. In fact the method is not dissimilar.  The original recipe calls for deep frying (in sunflower oil heated to 180^oC for 1-2 minutes) but I found that they could be shallow fried just as easily, which is a (slightly) healthier option. Make them fairly close to serving to keep their crispness, but they could be kept warm for a short while. Serve either as a first course accompanied with Lime Pickle and/or Mango Chutney or as one of the vegetable options in a mixed Indian style menu.

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Onion Bhajis
(Makes about 16)

250g gram flour/besan/chick pea flour
1tsp chilli powder (mild/medium/hot, depending on taste
1tsp ground turmeric
1tbsp crushed coriander seeds
3 large onions, chopped fairly finely
6 curry leaves, fresh if possible
Sunflower oil for frying (deep or shallow)
Salt
Chopped fresh coriander to serve, if available.

1. Mix the gram flour, chilli powder, turmeric, coriander seeds and a pinch of salt together in a bowl.

2. Add water to make a thick batter, which will hold the onion together.

3. Stir in the onions and curry leaves. If necessary add a little more flour.

4. Form the mixture into balls, using a little flour on the hands and surface to stop them sticking too much. Put them in the fridge to chill for at least 10minutes.

5. Shallow fry in sunflower oil until golden brown.

6. Serve garnished with some chopped fresh coriander if available and Lime Pickle and/or Mango chutney for a first course.

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Toffee Apple Croissant (Bread & Butter) Pudding

Every so often I come across an ingredient that is new to me.  In 2009 Dulce de Leche kept cropping up: used as a pouring sauce topping for puddings and ice cream, in a cake at Culinary Travels (untried) and even as an Ice Cream flavour at Smitten Kitchen (also untried).  Dulce de Leche  means literally ‘sweet of milk’ in Spanish and a little research helped me to realise that it was similar to a food fashion from a few years ago which I knew by the uninspiring name of ‘tin’.  I never tried to make it, but friends told me that if you gently boiled an unopened tin of condensed milk for several hours, once it was cool it could be opened to reveal a delicious pouring toffee.  (I have since found the instructions for making Dulce de Leche in various places online: there are detailed instructions from purplefoodie and also at gastronomydomine along with a delicious sounding, but untried, by me, recipe for Banoffee Pie.  Be warned though that, despite what you read, tins can explode: it happened to a friend, although she did admit that the pan boiled dry!  There are two alternative methods listed by Fig Jam & Lime Cordial, one using a microwave and the other cooked in a bain marie/water bath in the oven.)  Having read that French supermarkets stock Confiture du Lait (literally ‘milk jam’), which is more or less the same item, after some searching I managed to find some there when I was on holiday last year (Bonne Maman brand).  I bought a jar so I could experiment at home.  I understand Dulce de Leche can be bought in the UK, but I have so far seen it just once in a local ethnic supermarket where it was rather expensive, however I haven’t looked that hard since I brought my supply home from France!  I have also read that there is a UK brand of toffee in a squeezy tube, but I have never seen it.

There are recipes for bread and butter type puddings using croissants and I remember watching one being made on television, though I have forgotten where.  It’s a bit more ‘up market’ than the basic bread & butter pudding, an example of which is the Paddington Pudding I have already added on this site.  I tracked down a recipe which added apple and toffee sauce, simply called ‘That Croissant Bread & Butter Pudding’ on the National Baking Week site which I used as a starting point for my own version.  My finished pudding is not very sweet, which we enjoyed, although being a little more generous with the toffee sauce or adding Demerara sugar over the soaked croissants would make it more so. The original recipe suggested that Calvados (Apple Brandy) or sweet sherry could be included for an ‘adult’ pudding: I decided to use just a small amount of brandy which certainly added an extra dimension.  Leave it out if you wish: I am sure the pudding will be just as delicious without.  The croissants used were left over from a church event and had been frozen for several weeks, but this did not affect the finished pudding.

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Toffee Apple Croissant (Bread & Butter) Pudding
(Serves 4)

6-8 croissants (stale is fine)
2 eggs
½pint/280ml milk 
2tbsp brandy – optional
Dulce de Leche/Confiture du Lait/’Tin’/Squeezy Toffee – to taste
½tsp vanilla extract
2ozs/60g dried fruit, sultanas or raisins are good
2-3 medium sized eating apples (I used Cox’s Orange Pippins)
juice of ½ lemon (or ‘Jif’ type bottled lemon, not squash): prevents the apples browning
10g/½oz butter, cut into small pieces
2tbsp demerara sugar (for the topping): more if you wish – optional
½pt/280ml single cream (some for mixing but most for serving)

1.  Spread the croissants generously with Dulce de Leche/Confiture du Lait or similar toffee sauce.  Cut the croissants into quarters.

2.  Butter a shallow 9-10 inch dish.  Tightly pack a layer of croissant pieces in the base of the dish, leaving as few spaces as possible.  

3.  Mix the eggs and milk together in a jug and add the vanilla extract and brandy.  Pour over the pudding, making sure the croissants are well soaked.  A little extra milk can be added if needed, depending on how many croissants have been used.  For best results, before the apple and mixed fruit are added, this dish should be left in a cool place to allow the milk mixture to fully soak into the croissants.  All day or overnight if possible, but at least 1 hour.

4.  Preheat the oven to 160^oC/325^oF/Gas 3. 

5.  Peel, core and slice the apples into slices.  Sprinkle with lemon juice.

6.  If you want extra sweetness then the Demerara sugar can be added either now, before adding the apples, or after the apple layer to give a crunchy finish.  Cover the soaked croissants with half of the dried fruit, then a layer of apple slices in lines to make a decorative pattern and then the remainder of the dried fruit.

7.  Dot the butter evenly over the apples.  Mix 2 tablespoons of Dulce de Leche/Confiture du Lait or similar toffee sauce with a similar quantity of cream, to give a pouring consistency and drizzle this over the whole pudding in a zig-zag pattern.

8.  If not already added, sprinkle demerara sugar over the pudding before cooking.

9.  If the dish has been in the fridge it should be allowed to come to room temperature before putting in the oven.

10. Place the pudding dish in a bain marie: a second dish carefully filled with boiling water that comes to about half way up the sides of the pudding dish. 

11. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 40-45 minutes, or until the apples are cooked, soft and lightly golden.

12. Serve with the remaining single cream.

See also:
Delamere Dairy Chocolate Croissant Bread & Butter Pudding untried

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Paddington Pudding (Marmalade Bread & Butter Pudding)

This traditional British pudding has to be one of our all time family favourite recipes.  I have made versions both using different fruits and replacing the usual everyday bread with more ‘up market’ alternatives, such as croissants, but we always come back to this one, which I make just as I was taught by my mother.  There is one taste change to the original traditional version that I do usually make.  I add marmalade to my bread, which gives a sharp orange-y background flavour, but this can be left out, of course, for a truly traditional version.  I have been told that this is often called ‘Paddington Pudding’, presumably in honour of Paddington, the little bear from Peru who likes marmalade sandwiches, rather than simply the London railway station after which he was named!

I have never, until now, written down the method for making Bread and Butter Pudding, but it is very straightforward.  Apart from adding marmalade, the only other change I make is that I usually cut the bread into cubes, giving a paved rather than overlapped appearance to the finished dessert.  This was originally done to make the dish easier to serve since the top layer usually gets so crispy that it is difficult to dish up at table.   In the end though, however it is layered, this dish is difficult to get wrong.  It is best to pour over the egg mixture well in advance as this gives plenty of time for it to soak well into the bread, and give the best results.   Of course, this is a perfect way to use up slightly stale bread: I slice the remaining ends of loaves and put them in the freezer until I have enough to use for this (or to turn into breadcrumbs for other dishes).  For best results use good quality ‘bloomer’ type bread rather than a pre-packaged ready sliced loaf.

'Meanderings through my Cookbook' http://www.hopeeternalcookbook.wordpress.com

Paddington Pudding (Marmalade Bread & Butter Pudding)
(Serves  4)

8-10 thick slices of crusty bread, more if you wish (about 2 per person)
Butter
Marmalade
6ozs/175g mixed dried fruit
4tbsp white or demerara sugar (can be increased according to taste)
1tsp ground mixed spice
2 eggs
½pint/280ml milk (possibly a little more if needed)
½tsp vanilla extract
½tsp freshly grated nutmeg (for the topping)
2tbsp demerara sugar (for the topping)

1.  For best results, this dish should be left in a cool place to allow the milk mixture to fully soak into the bread.  All day or overnight if possible, but at least 1 hour.

2.  Spread the slices of bread with butter and marmalade. It is not necessary to remove the crusts.  Cut the slices of bread into cubes of about 1 inch/2.5cm.

3.  Butter a shallow 9-10 inch dish.  Place a layer of cubes, butter/marmalade side upwards in the base of the dish and then sprinkle with mixed fruit, sugar and mixed spice. Continue adding layers of bread, butter/marmalade side upwards, followed by mixed fruit, sugar and mixed spice, finishing with a final layer of cubes of bread, this time with the butter/marmalade side downwards.

4.  Mix the eggs and the milk together and add the vanilla essence.  Pour over the pudding, making sure the bread on the surface is well soaked.  A little extra milk can be added if you wish, depending on how much bread has been used.

5.  Add the topping of sugar and freshly grated nutmeg and place in a cool place or the fridge until it is to be cooked. 

6.  If the dish is in the fridge it should be allowed to come to room temperature before cooking.

7.  Preheat the oven to 180^oC/350^oF/Gas 4.  Place the Bread & Butter Pudding dish in a bain marie: a second dish carefully filled with boiling water that comes to about half way up the sides of the pudding dish. 

8.  Bake in the centre of the oven for about 40-45 minutes, or until the top of the pudding is golden and the top crisp but not too dark.  Be warned that this can burn easily.

9.  Serve with custard, single cream or vanilla ice cream.

See also:
Delia Smith’s Chocolate Bread & Butter Pudding (untried, but recommended by a friend)

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Basic Recipe: Clafoutis or Flognarde

Clafoutis is a dish that originates in the Limousin, a region of central France.  It is a dessert of fruit set in a batter mixture that is a cross between an egg custard and a sweet Yorkshire Pudding.  The traditional and most well known filling for a Clafoutis is cherry.  However as cherries were unavailable in the winter months alternative fillings were used, when technically the dish was then called a Flognarde.  There are some interesting additional ideas for fillings from a series of posts hosted by Bron Marshall.  I particularly like the sound of Peach & Cardamom from Cooksister and Pear & Chocolate from English Patis.  Although I have not tried it myself, I am sure that either Clafoutis or Flognarde could be made in individual dishes. 

This recipe is one of many collected from an unknown source and is simple and quick to make.  One previous attempt at a Clafoutis was unsuccessful as the batter failed to set properly since which I had not attempted another, but this Blackberry & Lemon version uses a different recipe.  Now I have found a version that is a success I would adapt it using this basic batter mixture with other fruit.  The ingredients given were originally intended for eight people but I found a half quantity barely fed three, so I suggest that the quantity below would give four (generous) to six portions.  It all depends on how hungry the diners are, I suppose.  For someone with a sweet tooth a little more sugar could be added, either sprinkled over the fruit or mixed into the batter, especially if the fruit is rather tart in flavour.

'Meanderings through my Cookbook' http://www.hopeeternalcookbook.wordpress.com

Blackberry & Lemon Flognarde
(Serves 4-6)

12ozs/375g blackberries (defrosting not necessary if frozen)
2-3tbsp sugar (vanilla sugar if available)
½tsp vanilla extract (unless vanilla sugar has been used)
4 large eggs
½pt/280ml single cream, Elmlea half fat is ideal (or a mixture of double or single cream & milk)
large pinch salt
2ozs/50g self raising flour
Juice and zest of half a lemon

1.  Preheat the oven to 180^oC/350^oF/Gas 4 and butter a shallow 9-10 inch dish.

2.  Put the frozen blackberries in a single layer in the bottom of the dish and sprinkle over the lemon zest.

3.  Whip the eggs together in a bowl until well mixed.  Gradually mix in the sugar.  Mixing all the time, in a thin stream gradually add the cream (or cream and milk mixture) to the egg and sugar.

4.  Stir in the flour and salt and beat until well combined.  Finally add the lemon juice.

5.  Pour the batter over the blackberries.

6.  Bake for about 20 minutes and then cover with a lid, baking sheet or some foil and continue to bake for a further 20 minutes.  Remove the cover towards the end of the cooking time to allow the clafoutis or flognarde to puff up and brown. 

7.  The finished clafoutis or flognarde will have puffed up like a souffle.  If possible serve immediately from oven to table before it collapses, topped with a dusting of icing sugar.  The contrast of some cold vanilla ice cream would complement this hot dessert, or alternatively serve some more pouring cream.

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Paratha Roti

Sometimes it is good to eat Indian style food with a bread, such as Naan or this simple to make Paratha Roti, in place of the more usual rice.  If the meal has a sauce a bread makes it much easier to thoroughly mop up the plate, in any case.  It is important to think ahead slightly to allow enough time for the yeastless dough to rise.  Paratha roti can take a little practice to get absolutely right, but it is definitely worth persevering.

This recipe for Paratha Roti was featured in chef Gary Rhodes’ TV series Rhodes around the Caribbean, which I really enjoyed: learning about the islands, their history, culture and above all, their diverse foods.  Paratha Roti comes from the cuisine of Trindad, which enjoys spicy Indian style dishes, but would not be out of place at a meal on the Indian sub-continent where it would have originated.  The quantities given are for four circular roti, but I found them rather large.  On subsequent occasions I have halved the quantity and was still able to make four smaller circular roti: in fact I have used 200g flour and adjusted the other ingredients pro rata to make three roti, one each.  Certainly if this is one of many dishes then these smaller size breads would suffice, but if I was making the full quantity I would prefer to make them smaller and let diners choose how many they wanted.  They can be made in advance of a meal and kept warm for a short while, but not too long as they lose their soft, light, flaky texture.  A small paratha roti with a serving of Prawn & Tomato Korma makes a delicious light meal or a starter, especially when you are serving rice for the main course.

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Paratha Roti
(Makes 4 large breads)

600g/1lb 5ozs plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1tsp Baking Powder
½tsp salt
400ml/14fl ozs water
10g/½oz Butter, melted, for brushing and cooking (use ghee if you wish, or vegetable oil)
1tsp vegetable or sunflower oil, aprox

1.  Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.  Make a well in the centre, pour in the water and mix well.  Knead well in the bowl or on a lightly floured surface until you have a smooth and fairly soft dough.  You may need to add a little more water or flour if the mixture is too dry or too sticky.

2. Sprinkle a little flour on the work surface to stop the dough from sticking. Divide the dough into four equally sized pieces (or one per person if you are adjusting the recipe). Roll each piece of dough into a round of about 15cm in size.

3. Brush the top surface of the circles with melted butter. Sprinkle with a little flour. Make a single cut from the centre to the edge of each circle.  Opening up the slit you have made start to roll, going around the circle, until you hae a cone shape with the point at the top. Place on a dish with the point of the cone at the top, press the point towards the centre of the paratha roti and flatten slightly. Leave to rest for 20 minutes. (I put them in the airing cupboard to aid rising.)

4. Sprinkle a little more flour onto the work surface and onto the rolling pin. Roll the dough cones into circles roughly 0.5cm thick.

5.  Using a medium heat and a large frying pan, melt together a little more butter and some vegetable oil, which helps prevent the butter from burning.  (If you have a baking stone, a tawah, then this can be greased and used.)  Cook one piece of the paratha for around 1 minute on the first side, until it starts to bubble up.

6. Turn over, lightly brush with a little more butter and cook for another minute.  There should be a few brown spots on the cooked paratha roti.  Remove paratha roti from the heat, place inside a clean tea towel and gently scrunch up to expose the layers inside the bread.  It can be broken up and served in pieces if you wish. Repeat with the remaining dough cones.

7.  Serve hot as a side dish with curries.

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