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

Apricot and Almond Tart

The combination of apricots and almonds with a touch of honey creates a delicate burst of flavors to quench the most discerning of sweet palates.
Macerating fresh apricots with sugar or slow poaching in a sugar syrup will enhance their subtle flavor without overcooking them.
This apricot and almond tart combines all of the above to create a mouth watering treat, whether its for a coffee time snack or as a dessert for a dinner party.

Short Pastry
75g unsalted butter at room temperature
2-3 egg yolks
25g Icing sugar
150g Plain Flour
1-2tbsp water, optional
Rub together the flour, sugar and butter until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the egg yolks and mix with enough water to make a smooth soft pastry.
Wrap in clingfilm and chill for about 30 minutes to firm the dough.
Roll dough out thinly to line the base and sides of your tart tin ( this mix is enough for a deep 8inch tart tin) If you find that your pastry tears easily you can patch it with your fingertips. Prick the base slightly with a fork, line with parchment paper and weigh down with baking beans and bake blind at 170c/150c fan/ gas 3 for 25 minutes. Remove the parchment and beans, bake for a further 10 minutes until crisp. Remove from oven and leave to cool. At this stage the base will store chilled for 3days.

Fruit filling
8-10 Fresh apricots, halved and de-stoned
Handful of sugar, adjust depending on the sweetness of the apricots
2tbsp honey (for a more enhanced flavor you could use brandy or Grand Marnier)
Place apricots in a bowl and toss with the sugar. Drizzle with the honey or alcohol and leave for at least an hour to infuse the flavors and soften the apricots. I find its best to do this the night before to get maximum macerating time.
Drain the apricots and leave to dry for a while, making sure to reserve the liquid for use later.

 Frangipane filling
115g Butter, softened
115g Honey
100g Ground almonds
2 eggs
1/4 cup Double Cream
Whisk together the butter, honey and ground almonds until smooth.
Add the cream but stir it in rather than whisking so as not to emulsify, this will make it rise during baking ( if you do want a slight rise during baking then whisk slowly for a few seconds)
OR
You can make the frangipane filling from my earlier post The Bakewell Tart Experience, which is a more cake like frangipane.

Either frangipane filling works just as well however I find that the creamy filling creates a better tart for cold/warm dinner dessert while the cake frangipane makes a better hot dessert especially if served with custard or a coffee time snack

To assemble the tart, arrange the apricot halves on the base of the tart crust and pour the creamy mixture over the top. Bake at 180c/170c fan for about 25 - 30 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Longer baking time is required for the cake frangipane, check by using the skewer test during cooking

Cake Frangipane Tart

You can also make individual tarts rather than one whole tart, this recipe will give 8-10 good sized tarts. For parties etc you can make them smaller and get about 20-24 mini tarts. For these you will need to cut the fruit smaller, I tend to quarter the apricots and then slice each quarter into half again or slice thinly and arrange on top of the frangipane. Making sure to push the slices down into the frangipane slightly.

Individual Tarts

You can use this recipe with other fruits such as peaches, nectarines, plums and any other stone fruit that is in season.

This is a great recipe for a dinner dessert as it can be prepared well in advance before being assembled and baked on the day/evening.

Serve warm simply with the reserved macerating liquid, ice cream, creme fraiche or custard.

Enjoy!!!

Fig Newtons or Fig Rolls?

 Fig Newtons

Called Fig Newtons in the U.S.A and Fig Rolls in the U.K, these are a cross between a cake and a cookie, made with an almost soft cake like pastry and filled with a moist fig filling.


Fig rolls are made from a short pastry which is filled with a fig paste, originating from Egypt where they are still a very popular treat. While in Europe and the rest of the world the pastries are known as Fig Rolls and are produced by the Britannia companies in India.
However the American Fig Newton was introduced by Charles Roser, during the development of industrial production, to the Kennedy Biscuit Company. He called them Newtons after the local town of Newton, Massachusetts. The Kennedy Biscuit Company later merged with the New York Biscuit Company to form Nabisco, who trade marked the product as Fig Newtons*

Fig Newtons are made from a pastry which is more cake like while being soft and chewy in texture. While the Fig Rolls are made from a short pastry dough and are more crumbly.

Here are recipes for both for you to try and see which you prefer
Fig Newtons
200g S/R Flour
100g Butter
75g sugar
25g honey
1/4 tsp Baking powder
1/4tsp salt
2tsp Vanilla Extract
large pinch of ground cinnamon
1tsp Orange zest
3 Egg yolks
2-3 tbsp of orange juice

Filling
300g dried figs
50g apple sauce
3-4tbsp honey
1/4 tsp cinnamon

For Fresh Fig Filling
2 - 3lbs Fresh Figs (depending on how much filling you use), Quartered
4tbsp Honey
1/4tsp cinnamon
1/4cup water
Boil all the ingredients on a low/medium heat until you get a semi dry mix, blend to get a smooth paste and then bring back to the heat to remove any excess liquid making sure not to over cook the figs

Sift the flour and salt, set aside
Cream the butter and sugar along with the honey, baking soda, vanilla, cinnamon and orange zest, until pale and fluffy
While continuously whisking gradually add in the egg yolks, mixing well after each addition.
Add all the flour and the orange juice (start with 2tbsp) and mix until well combine, the dough will be soft and wet (if not then add in the extra tbsp of orange juice).
Cover your worktop with clingfilm/plastic wrap (enough to wrap the pastry mix)
Scrape your pastry into the middle of the clingfilm, wrap once and flatten then wrap with remaining clingfilm and refrigerate for a minimum of 5 hours or overnight
The pastry will still be soft but more manageable.
For the filling
Place all the ingredients into a blender/processor and pulse until all the mix is smooth (the mixture will be paste like. Put mix into a piping bag with a plain basket weave tip or corner snip the piping bag
To roll the pastry, dust the rolling surface heavily with flour to prevent sticking and dust the dough.
Dust frequently while rolling and turning pastry. Roll pastry to 1/4inch thickness rectangular strip.
Cut into 3.5inch x 7inch strips, this size fits my baking sheet but you can roll the length of your strip to fit your baking sheet (this will making handling easier later on).
Remove any excess flour from pastry. Pipe filling into the middle of each strip, my filling is about 1inch in width and 1/4inch thick.
I find this ratio works well but you can make it thinner or thicker.
Roll the one long end of pastry over the filling and then roll the folded end over the flap of pastry. The dough will be doubled where the two strips overlap at the bottom, this will give you the classic bowed newtons shape.
Dust off any excess flour from the cookies, place onto prepared baking sheets and bake for 12-14 minutes until the cookies have puffed up, lightly browned and are firm to the touch. Continue to cook for a few more minutes if the cookies are moist or not puffed up.
Remove cookie strips from oven and straight away trim each strip into 5 even sized (about 1-1.5inch) long cookies.
While the cookies are still warm, place in a air tight container or zip-loc bag and seal tightly. If you stack them then place a sheet of parchment between each stack. Sealing the cookies while still warm will slightly steam them. This gives them the soft cake like texture while skipping this step will make your cookies more drier.
Store at room temperature for about 2 weeks, though they will not last this long!!!

To make Fig Slices
Split your pastry dough into two equal amounts, Place one piece of the pastry in the freezer for about 2hours or longer so that you can grate it easily.
Use a 8inch x 6icnh x 1inch baking tray, grease and dust heavily with flour.
Take the remaining piece of pastry and flatten into the tray using your hands, making sure it is evenly flattened. The pastry should come up to about 1/3 of the way up, place the tray in the fridge for as long as your frozen pastry is in the freezer.
Spread the fig mixture evenly over the pastry 
Then grate the frozen pastry over the fig mixture and make sure to spread it out evenly.
Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes, should slightly puff up and be lightly golden brown. if still moist in the middle then bake for a bit longer
While still hot cut in half lengthwise and then cut into slices, I get 24 slices in total.

 Fresh Fig Rolls

Fig Rolls
125g Plain flour
125g Plain Wholemeal Flour
150g Lightly Salted Butter, softened
75g Light Brown Caster Sugar
2 Egg yolk
1tsp Vanilla extract

Rub the sifted flours (along with the bran) with the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs
Mix in the sugar, vanilla extract and the egg yolks to make a firm dough (you may require some water or an extra egg yolk to bring the dough together). Wrap in clingfilm/plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough to 1/4inch thickness rectangular shape and then cut into 3.5inch x7inch strips on well dusted worktop to prevent the pastry sticking.
Pipe the fig paste into the middle of each strip and fold one end over the filling, then fold the folded end over again so that the overlap is at the bottom. Dust of any excess flour and flatten each strip slightly and then prick with a fork or score with a knife
Cut each strip into 1inch biscuits, you should get around 20, place biscuits on a greased baking sheet.
Bake for 12 - 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 190c/gas 5 until lightly browned
For the Filling, use the same quantity as for the Newton recipe.

Fig Rolls

Use other fruits to vary the fillings and add ground nuts to give you a variety in tastes and textures. You can also use this recipe to make fig slices, by dividing the dough into two and roll each piece to fit your baking pan. Place one piece of rolled out dough into the prepared baking pan and prick with a fork before topping with your filling. Cover with the second piece of rolled dough and then bake in a preheated oven for about 15-20minutes or until lightly browned. Check to make sure the bake is cooked all the way through, you may need a longer cooking time. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before cutting into slices.

So which is your favorite and why?

 


*source material is from Wikipedia

Todays Bake-Seriuosly Chocolately Pear Brownies

Chocolate and Pear Brownies

These squidgy and moist Brownies are for the chocoholics amongst us but with the addition of pear, they count as one of your five a day!!!

350g Dark Chocolate (70%)
250g Unsalted Butter
3 whole Eggs
250g Caster Sugar(use soft brown sugar for a more nuttier taste)
55g Plain Flour
55g Cocoa Powder
1tsp Baking Powder
2 Ripe Pears, peeled, cored and diced

Pre-heat oven at 180c
Grease and line with parchment a 30cm x 20cm x 4cm baking pan

Melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (or you can do this in the microwave but make sure not to burn the chocolate).
Meanwhile whisk the sugar and eggs until pale and fluffy then while still whisking pour in the chocolate and butter mix, whisk until well combined
Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder then fold into the chocolate mixture.
Add the diced pears to the mix and stir in (Optional - you can add in a handful of chopped nuts of your choice at this stage, they will add another texture)
Pour the mix into your baking pan and level to get an even bake.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, I prefer my brownies to be just soft in the middle so I tend to bake them for about 35minutes. However if you want yours slightly gooey then bake for 30minutes but if like them more cakey then go for the full 40minutes.
Leave to cool before cutting and removing from the pan, you should get 20 squares.
When serving these as a dinner dessert, with ice cream and caramel sauce, I will serve them warm.
If serving as a tea time treat, serve cold with whipped vanilla cream or dredge with icing sugar and cut each square into 2 triangles to serve with coffee.
Instead of using regular pears why not try using Nashi (apple) pears or if your not keen on pears then omit the pears and use mashed bananas.

Good baking and happy eating!!