what have you baked today?

[aero280]

Today I made a batch of biscuits and a loaf of bread is about to go in the oven.

[Hope]

i made a dozen muffins with mixed dried fruit in. Took ages to make them as the only way I could manage it today was to do a few bits (like get out some ingredients) then have a rest. I also managed to forget to preheat the oven, then put it on the wrong temperature, so cooked them far too low and had to put them back in again on the proper temp after I'd realised! I'm pleased I managed to do something useful, though. And I think this method of really breaking up tasks and taking more frequent breaks is the way ahead!

[suffolk]

Yesterday I made a chicken and leek pie for supper, using some of Sundays roast chicken. For a change I made a pie with a bottom crust - I seem to have started a furore in the press - when is a pie not a pie indeed - even on the Today programme. Should I send them a photo do you think?

[Seatallan]

[suffolk]

This morning I've made a batch of Cornish-recipe pasties and, as there was some pastry left over I made what in Suffolk is called an Apple Jack

Apparently in the rest of the country apple jack is an apple-based alcoholic beverage ... not in Suffolk. It's made with the leftover pastry and some sliced apple, cinnamon and sugar at least it always was.

[hickybank]

Morning all.
I fancy knocking up a bowl of fresh fruit salad, but one that will keep for a few days to have for breakfast.
Any fruit will do but not Bananas as I cannot stand them
Thanks
Terry

[dennispc]

Baked fruit salad - interesting.

Mangoes, kiwi fruit, segmented oranges, grapes, melons, pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries - take your pick. I add a fruit juice such as apple and ginger and avoid syrupy type additions. I think Delia adds rum.

We usually have a bowl of some fruit in the fridge and just add to homemade muesli.

[hickybank]

Sorry for late getting back but thank you Dennis, despite my age I cannot ever remember making one but suddenly fancied it for breakfast, surprised there have not been more replies, but perhaps it is boring
Terry

[dennispc]

Sorry for late getting back but thank you Dennis, despite my age I cannot ever remember making one but suddenly fancied it for breakfast, surprised there have not been more replies, but perhaps it is boring
Terry

Freshly made fruit salad (without apples and pears) is never boring.

[earthmaiden]

I think that as long as you add an acidic juice to prevent apples and pears from browning most fresh fruit salads will keep for 2 or 3 days as long as there is no banana (people who like them can add them fresh on the day of eating). Just add what you like (melon, blueberries, oranges, apples, grapes .......). If I am making one to keep several days I add a tin of pineapple chunks in juice. I love them anyway but the juice helps keep the fruit moist and free from browning. Never boring, always a delight served at any time of day. I wish more people would offer it as a pud instead of sickly chocolate stuff.

As for baking, do you remember those packs of dried fruits which used to be sold to make a winter fruit compote? Always figs, apple slices and prunes with other additions. My family cooked them in the oven in a casserole dish with water and sugar when the oven was on and it was served with custard or top of the milk. I loathed it. I liked it later when I discovered it wasn't bad without the sugar and overly sweet juice, I have always adored dried figs.

[dennispc]

We've always got dried fruits (bought separately) in the house, soak overnight in water, cook in the morning – add to muesli, keep rest of bowl in fridge. Like Shredded Wheat, no added salt or sugar, plenty in the fruit anyway.

Slice a cooking apple and an eating apple, cook until soft, adding sugar according to taste. Also, goes with roast pork.

OH does a lovely compote when fresh apricots are in season.

[hickybank]

So today I bought Grapes, Kiwi, Mango, Blueberries, Water melon & tinned Pineapple in natural juice, so that's breakfast tomorrow sorted

[aero280]

There's a Mary Berry Simnel Cake in the oven at the moment!

[PatsyMFagan]

As well as the turkey thigh, I am going to do a tarte tatin .. really just to use up 2 wrinkled apples in the fruit bowl The pastry is in the fridge resting and the fruit has been prepped, simmered in a sugar syrup and a good slosh of calvados has gone in. I have also added a chopped up preserved spiced pear from a jar that has been languishing in the larder since I did them some time ago (a couple of years ? ) I also found a tub of cream in the freezer, so that too has had a slosh of calvados and some icing sugar to sweeten.

[aero280]

Just eaten a slice of gooseberry pie that came out of the oven half an hour ago. I bought some Rodda's clotted cream this afternoon in anticipation!!

I used deli's recipe and it was much more pleasant than the very sweet one I did a while back using an American recipe. But I need to sort out the oven temperatures. `recipe calls for 10 mins on Reg 7 on top shelf, followed by 35/40 mins on Reg 5 on low shelf.

Even though I went off recipe and blind baked the base for a while before adding the fruit and top crust, the bottom was a bit soggy and "just cooked", and the top was on the overdone side.

I was given 2 kg of frozen gooseberries, so I can make two more pies. I might add some ginger to the next one...

[Badger's mate]

I often make a gooseberry tart with a crème fraiche custard filling. The recipe I use was in a James Martin book, but there are variants online.

Somewhat off topic, we had a really nice gooseberry chutney in Benares the other week. The recipe is also available on the interweb and I am determined to give that a go.

[scullion]

Unread postby aero280 » April 25th, 2017, 10:31 pm
Even though I went off recipe and blind baked the base for a while before adding the fruit and top crust, the bottom was a bit soggy and "just cooked", and the top was on the overdone side.


heston suggests using a load of small change instead of baking beans when blind baking, as they supply more heat to the surface of the pastry (through the baking paper). whether this is true or not i don't know as i haven't tried it. i use a load of unglazed ceramic buttons, little ducks and balls when i bake blind.

[Badger's mate]

Has anyone on here ever made a gooseberry pie with a raised hot water crust?

I read about it a few years ago and always meant to get a round tuit...

[hickybank]

When blind baking I use Delias method which involves nothing & works perfectly

This is what she says
Forget about baking beans – it's really all too much bother. Provided you've lined the tin correctly, as above, all you now need to do is prick the base all over with a fork, as this will release any trapped air, which is what causes the centre to rise up. Then brush the base and sides all over with beaten egg, which will provide a sort of waterproof coating so that the pastry stays beautifully crisp even after the filling has gone in. Normally this small amount of beaten egg can be taken from that used for the filling in the recipe.

The oven needs to be pre-heated and, at the same time, you should pre-heat a good solid baking sheet on the centre shelf. The temperature for pastry is usually gas mark 5, 375 F (190 C), but you should always refer to the particular recipe. Then pop the pastry case in to pre-bake for 20-25 minutes or until it is turning golden brown. It's a good idea to have a peep halfway through – if the pastry is bubbling up a bit, just prick it with a fork and press it back down again with your hands.

Once the filled pastry case has been baked, to remove the flan tin, place the tart on a tin or jar, loosen the pastry all round with a small knife or skewer and ease it down.



http://www.deliaonline.com/how-to-cook/ ... astry-case

[scullion]

hmmm, so you prick the base then seal the holes over again with egg and have to check and press down half way through cooking?

i thought the pricking went without saying but i never have to check half way through and never have to press it down. baking beans seem less bother to me. if i wanted to seal the pastry against the filling i'd be more inclined to brush with egg after it was baked (and the paperful of 'beans' taken out) then put back into the hot oven for a minute or so.

[Seatallan]

Must say I've found the Delia method to work perfectly. Having said that, I do use baking beans sometimes too, depending on the recipe. I like using baking beans- for some reason, it makes me feel all grown up and 'cheffy'.

[hickybank]

As I said, it works for me & a lot quicker than lining & filling with beans which have to be taken out again.
Your post has a touch of sarcasm in it which is uncalled for in my opinion

[scullion]

there was no sarcasm - i was just making a précis of your method. i would not find that quicker.
i'm sorry you feel the need for defence.

[suffolk]

Steak and kidney pie with rough puff pastry - yesterday's supper

Chelsea buns this aftrernoon

[Seatallan]

[Zosherooney]

Looks good Suff, lob a chelsea bun this way, I can almost smell'em !!!!

Oven is going on later, looks like I have 8 tomorrow sometime during the afternoon. A Polenta rhubarb and custard cake, I have some chicken that needs cooking for a sort of coronation concoction that will go on crostini. There will be a vat of leek and potato soup as it looks like the weather might be breezy and cool. I also need to make choux buns for filling later on....

[Zosherooney]

Well my 8 visitors cried off, too many Scarecrows to see..... 5 pints of leek and potato soup has been dished around all my lovely neighbours and 'sitters' together with good portions of chicken coronation.

[StokeySue]

Baked Goods

Don't do a lot of baking, but have done some today for tomorrow's food festival, the WI has a stall
I made the Rhubarb and Yogurt Cake from the Riverford website, as recommended by Suelle. Very easy and looking good
Also made Mary Berry's Little Lemon Drizzle Cakes from the Lakeland site, but I did them in cupcake cases

[earthmaiden]

They look lovely Sue!

[aero280]

Made my first Pecan Pie last night. The booze in it survived the cooking. I may have used a bit too much!!

[StokeySue]

Not put booze in a pecan pie aero
I have made Ian's Loo hoo pecan pie, it was good, but I had beautiful pecans I brought from South Africa. Maple syrup in it, but no booze

[aero280]

I used the Guardian recipe. I found it online....

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl ... -pecan-pie

[suffolk]

I've just done my first proper cooking since I broke my foot ..... I've made a pastilla with the remains of the poule au pot from yesterday.

I based it on the Hairy Bikers' recipe using ground pistachios rather than almonds, but as the chicken was already cooked I put the filling straight into the pie case rather than cook it first, then turned the heat down after the first fifteen minutes and cooked for twice the time in the recipe. It's cooling now and we'll have it at room temperature with wilted chard this evening.

As a pie to bake whilst partially incapacitated it worked well as I could assemble the filling then have a rest, and of course using bought filo that meant less time standing than making a pie with home made pastry.

[hickybank]

Jambalaya for us tonight also hairy Bikers, their three diet book are my bible now, having used them to lose weight I now use them to maintain the weight loss

[suffolk]

Pastilla cooling down ...

[Zosherooney]

Lit my oven this evening and filled it with ..... Coconut macaroons, my Mums fruit malt loaf, gooseberry clafautis, gammon stakes in mustard cheese and leek sauce with breadcrumbs, chunks of sweet potato and butternut squash, a courgette bake out of my head with onions, garlic, marjoram and an eggy batter..... and marinated chicken thighs. Should be enough there to keep us fed for a few days.

[Herbidacious]

I made rhubarb curmble from the rhubarb from the garden last night

Goodness Zosh. That was very industrious of you! You have reminded me that I want to make cherry clafoutis. Must look on the market tomorrow to see if the Kentish cherries have arrived.

Was the courgette thing a courgette clafoutis, more or less, or something else?

[hickybank]

We have Asparagus today so smelly wee tonight, funny how it affects different people, however
I usually steam it before gentle saute in butter, any other favorite ways you cook it you would care to share?
Terry

[slimpersoninside]

I baked a coconut and cherry cake yesterday. A family favourite.

[Zosherooney]

Herb. Yes basically, except I added fresh marjoram from the garden, chopped onion, garlic, some of that salad cheese (it's like feta but not so salty) from Lidl crumbled and some capers. I put a few bits of Parmigiano Reggiano over my half as Mr. Z is not so keen on strong cheese. The courgettes I made into strips with a potato peeler put in a greased shallow pyrex dish and poured over the batter and the other items as above. Baked in the oven till done on about 150 deg. I would have happily eaten it on it's own.. It was probably an oven baked frittata... I just try as many different ways to try courgettes as we will be in glut soon

Terry, I have split big ones end to end and put straight on the BBQ slightly oiled, they stay nice and crunchy that way, I prefer a crunch, Mr. Z likes them soft. Never suffer with smelly wee as I have a tot of Dior with my asparagus !

[hickybank]

I must try the Dior method, in the end I baked them with Parmesan & Garlic, nice but next time I would leave out the garlic as it overpowered everything.

[Rocky]

Pastilla June 2017.JPG

Pastilla cooling down ...

That looks fabulous. Was it as delicious as it looked?

I have made some lunch box healthy muffins for OH - oats, Apple sauce and cinnamon as main ingredients. Not particularly exciting but OH likes a healthy lunch...

[suffolk]

Sorry Rocky ... I don't know how I missed you there ... yes it was delicious ... OH said it was 'better than cake'

I made some muffins today http://www.food.com/recipe/coffee-walnut-muffins-9975 .... not very healthy ones but I had a bit of spare time and the ingredients were to hand ... they're not the most exciting muffins in the world but they're ok and not too sweet.

[suffolk]

Quiche/tart made with smoked salmon offcuts from Pinneys of Orford, and some Swiss chard from the garden ... the organic double cream was a freebie from the farm shop as it had reached it's use by date and has been in the freezer since the weekend.

Slightly fuzzy pic ... sorry

[suffolk]

Shortcrust sausage rolls with a generous helping of home made chutney inside

and some Suffolk rusks I made to use up the beaten egg I'd used for the egg wash on the sausage rolls

[Seatallan]

[suffolk]

Brioche burger buns ...

[Zosherooney]

Is it just me or what ? What is this new faze of brioche with meat ? Not my cup of tea, the bread is too sweet to serve with meat IMHO. Brioche is great with butter jam and sweet stuff but not meat...

They do look professional though Suff

[Herbidacious]

I made some cornbread, which I have been craving for ages. There seem to be so many recipes around - there are at least a dozen in the books I have 'registered' with Eat Your Books alone plus, of course, loads on the internet. I decided to go with a Celia Brooks Brown recipe because I didn't want to have to leave the house to buy somewhat esoteric ingredients, such as buttermilk that some recipes call for, and I didn't want extras like cheese, although fresh coriander might have been a nice addition. I did add some chipotle chilli flakes which added just a hint of heat and a surprising amount of smoke. The polenta I used may have been a little too course, but I quite like the slightly more crunchy texture. I was surprised by and very pleased at how good the result was. The crack was incurred when I flipped it.

btw those brioche buns look perfect Suffs!

[Zosherooney]

Just spotted your quiche Suff, how colourful and exotic does that look....!