Blackberry and Apple Cobbler

Blackberries are purple, almost black in color often found growing wild in hedge rows, thus they are also called brambles and are in season from July to mid October. Blackberries are delicate to handle, wonderfully intense in flavor and very juicy, they can be eaten raw or can be cooked into a number of desserts. As they are very delicate, avoid washing them but should they require it then do so just before using them.

Blackberries and apples are a marriage made in heaven, the best Autumn combination for any number of desserts such as pies, crumbles, tarts, fools etc. Blackberries also lend themselves to jams, jellies, purees, compotes and syrups.

Here is a simple recipe for a cobbler, which combines the sweet plump juicy blackberries I picked from a hedgerow in a local field (with permission from the land owner!!) and bramley apples from a colleagues garden.

 

Blackberry and Apple Cobbler

700g blackberries 
700g cooking apples (or use dessert apples and reduce the amount of sugar to about 4 tbsp) 
6 tbsp sugar 
5 tbsp plain flour 
1 tbsp melted butter
Topping 

150g plain flour 
2 tsp baking powder 
60g butter 
3 tbsp sugar 
120ml buttermilk (or fresh milk with 1/2 a tbsp lemon juice)

Peel, core and roughly chop the apples and mix with the blackberries, sugar, melted butter and flour. Check the sweetness of the berries as some can be quite tart and therefore you may require more sugar.
Place in a 22x33cm ovenproof dish, I use a cast iron skillet pan for mine which easily serves six people, alternatively you can use individual dishes such as ramekins or oven proof glass jars work really well.
For topping, sift flour and baking powder together. Rub in butter until mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Stir in sugar and buttermilk.
Drop spoonfuls of the topping mixture on to the fruit; it doesn't have to be completely covered.
Bake at 190 C / Gas 5 for about 30-40 minutes or until fruit is soft and topping is risen and golden.
Serve topped with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or with custard.

Fruit cobblers are known by many different names depending on your geography. However the basic principle is the same, fruit filling covered with a biscuit, scone or pie crust batter and either baked or cooked on the stove. 
It is the batter on top that changes from country to country and region to region. In the United States the topping is mainly made with a biscuit batter or cake batter while in the United Kingdom and the European Union the topping is mostly made from a scone like mix. 
For an alternative topping try this
1 cup sugar
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup milk
1 stick of butter(melted)
Put sugar and flour into a bowl and whisk in the milk until well combined. Pour in melted butter and continue whisking to ensure well combined. Pour the batter mix into your cobbler dish, evenly spoon the berries/apple mixture on top making sure you get an even distribution. Bake at 180c/170c fan for about an hour, you can dust the top with more sugar during the last 10 minutes of baking time.
This is a more cake like cobbler topping but tastes delicious none the less and you can serve it with  any of the accompaniments mentioned above.

Happy Baking!!! 

Too Many Pumpkins!!

Pumpkins are the most famous of all winter squashes and are commonly associated with Halloween. However this king of the vegetable patch is so versatile that the whole pumpkin can be used in the kitchen. Inside the hard outer skin is the sweet orange flesh which has a slight honey flavor to it,  which once combined with a number of spices and herbs is almost divine in taste. The flesh can be used in a variety of ways, whether simply roasted as a vegetable, as a base flavor for pasta, soups, stews, curries, biriyanis, risotto etc or as a base for many desserts and puddings. You can not only use the flesh but also the seeds, which are great roasted and served with salads, in flapjacks, in granola or simply as a snack lightly flavored with spices. The hollowed out outer skin is not only good for making lanterns but can be used as a serving dish for a number of savory dishes.

Most Sweet dishes are made with a pureed pumpkin, you can buy this in cans from select number of supermarkets but making your own is so simple.

Take the pumpkin flesh and cut into cubes of similar size, place the cubes onto a large piece of foil and seal loosely to allow the pumpkin to steam while cooking. Place onto a roasting tray and cook in the oven at 180C/ gas mark 4 for about an hour or until soft. The length of cooking time will depend on the amount of pumpkin you have, 500g will require about an hour cooking time.

Once cooked, drain any excess liquid and pass through a sieve for a smooth puree.

Pumpkin Pie 

A classic American pie, usually served during the fall and early winter season especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

500g (1 1/4 lb) pumpkin, cooked and pureed 

1 (410g) tin evaporated milk  

2 eggs, beaten 

175g (6 oz) dark brown soft sugar  

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger  

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1/2 teaspoon salt

500g Sweet shortcrust pastry

Roll out the sweet pastry and line a 20cm pie tin and bake blind for 15minutes at 180C/gas mark 4 until cooked and golden

Meanwhile beat the pumpkin with evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Mix well. Pour into a prepared pie dish. Bake for 40 minutes at 150C/gas mark 2, it will puff up around the edges but still feel wobbly in the centre. Remove from the oven and cool. Serve either chilled or at room temperature with creme fraiche, whipped cream or just with pouring cream.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

18-20 Ginger Biscuits , finely crushed (about 2 cups) 

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

1/4 cup butter, melted 

750g Cream Cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar, divide into 1/2cup and 1/4 cup

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

1 cup Pureed pumpkin

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Pinch of ground cloves

Heat oven to 180C/ 170Cfan/ 350°F/ gas mark 4

Mix the biscuit crumbs, chopped nuts and butter until well combined,  press the mix into the bottom of prepared 9-inch spring-form cake tin*. Use the back of a dessert spoon to level and really smooth the biscuit crust. Refrigerate to slightly set the biscuit crust 
Beat together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each until just blended. Remove 1 cup plain batter and keep to one side (you only need to do this if you want a marbled effect cheesecake otherwise just proceed to the next step)
Meanwhile stir remaining sugar, pumpkin puree and all the spices into the remaining batter.
Spoon half the pumpkin batter onto the crust then top with spoonfuls of half the plain batter. Repeat layers and the swirl gently with a skewer or knife
Bake for 45 min. or until centre is almost set**. Cool completely and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
  *To make it easier when handling cheesecake, you can line your cake tin with double foil, ensuring it extends over the sides and covers the whole cake tin, then proceed with the above method. Once your cheesecake has cooled you can use the foil handles to lift the cheesecake before cutting. The shape of your cheesecake depends on your choice of cake tin, I use both square and round for different occasions.   **To check if a cheesecake is done, gently shake the pan. It will be set except for a small area in the centre that will be soft and jiggly. Never insert a knife into the cheesecake as you would with other baked cakes, as this will cause the cheesecake to crack during cooling. 

Here are a few other ideas for using Pumpkins

Pumpkin Risotto - make your basic risotto as per packet instructions with the addition of a pinch of saffron. Meanwhile roast cubed pumpkin with garlic and sage until just cooked. Add to the risotto during the last five minutes of cooking time along with cubed mozzarella, allow to stand for 5minutes. Serve sprinkled with pumpkin seeds.

You will need 500g of pumpkin to 225g of risotto rice and 125g mozzarella

 Beef and Pumpkin Stew -Cook the beef in beef stock until tender, stir in handful of polenta and add diced potatoes and onions and cook for about 15minutes.  Add in chunky cut pieces of carrot, pepper, celery, leeks and pumpkin simmer until the vegetables are tender. Stir in oregano and paprika during the last five minutes, Season and serve sprinkled with coriander. This is meant to be a chunky stew so try to cut your ingredients as such.

Pumpkin Curry - Use the curry paste recipe from my earlier post, with the addition of diced pumpkin and chickpeas you can create a warm hearty vegetable curry, why not serve it in a hollowed out pumpkin shell along with naan bread and rice, garnished with fresh mint leaves

For a different breakfast/brunch experience why not try out these waffles, serve with maple syrup, apple and cranberry compote and creme friache.

Pumpkin Waffles 

3 eggs 

350ml buttermilk 

100ml rapeseed oil 

125g pumpkin puree 

135g wholemeal pastry flour 

2 tablespoons caster sugar 

2 teaspoons baking powder 

3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix the eggs, buttermilk, oil and pumpkin puree in a bowl, beat together to blend well. Combine the pastry flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and all the spices. Stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture and mix until thoroughly blended together. You should have a pourable batter if not add in an extra tablespoon of buttermilk. Make the waffles as per your waffle maker instructions and keep warm while you continue making the rest.

I hope this page will inspire you to use the pumpkin more for cooking rather than for just making lanterns during Halloween, ENJOY!!

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A Date or Two

 Whether fresh or dried, dates are a naturally sweet snack food and eaten as such in many countries. Quite often the dates are pitted (or stoned) and then either glazed with a glucose syrup when dried or stuffed with walnuts, almonds, candied citrus peel and cream cheese. In recent times chocolate covered dates have seen a modern reinvention, as have sparkling date juices, which are used as an alternative to champagne in many Middle Eastern Countries.
Dates can be used in sweet and savory cooking, chopped up in tagines, served in salads with puy lentils or cous cous and why not use pureed dates in your BBQ sauce. For sweet cooking, use dates in cookies, scones, biscotti, cakes or stuffed with a variety of sweet fillings wrap in filo pastry, deep fry and serve with a flavored sugar syrup.

Date loaves are a popular type of cake served at tea times and in the states especially around the holidays.
Date and Walnut Loaf Cake
110g Fresh Dates, stones removed and chopped
55g Butter
225ml Water 
1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda 
225g Self raising flour 
55g  Chopped walnuts (or you can use Pecans instead)

170g Dark brown sugar 
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten
Bring to boil the dates and water, adding the butter and sugar, simmer gently on medium heat until the the butter melts and the sugar has dissolved. Stir mixture with a wooden spoon to slightly mash up the dates. Remove from the heat and add the bicarbonate of soda. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes
Combine self raising flour with walnuts and then add to cooled date mixture. Mix well with wooden spoon and add beaten egg and vanilla extract. Spoon mixture into a lined 1lb loaf tin.
Bake in a pre heated oven for 60 to 75 minutes at 170c /fan 150c/gas 3.
Leave to cool before slicing and serve simply with butter.
If serving as dinner dessert then make into individual loaves or as mini cakes and  serve warm with Butterscotch sauce and a scoop of ice cream (my favorite ice cream with this is ginger but vanilla, banana or chocolate work just as well)
These loaf cakes freeze really well, so why not make a batch in advance.
Butterscotch Sauce 
165g dark brown soft sugar 
125g unsalted butter, cubed 
300ml extra-thick double cream
Place all the ingredients in a pan over a medium heat, until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously to prevent sticking and burning, for about 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. 
Allow to cool slightly before serving

This basic recipe can be adapted to make a variety of cakes/loafs, here are a few ideas to help you along:
Change the flavors and texture by adding a banana or a handful of cherries and lighten the color of the loaf by substituting the dark sugar with light brown.
You can replace the nuts to your personal preference or leave out completely but you may need to add a little extra flour.
You can also substitute white flour with wholemeal or a combination of both for a better fibre content.
Make a ginger frosting and spread over the cooled loaf before slicing, this makes a great tea time treat.
I prefer the addition of a teaspoon of ground ginger to the mix but you can add all spice, ground cinnamon, nutmeg or why not drizzle with honey once baked.

 Fresh Dates

Happy Baking!!!

October Dessert Ideas

Dessert ideas for using seasonal October fruits

Caramelized Apple Tart Tatin

Blackberry Mousse with Mini Pancakes sandwiched with Creme Patisserie

Watermelon Sorbet served with Figs and Peaches

Raspberry and Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

Apple Doughnuts