Family puddings and baking

Canelé flavoured with Seville Orange, Seedlip Spice 94, and Orange Brandy.

canele with seelip

Canele flavoured with Seville Orange, Orange Brandy and Seedlip’s Spice 94

Who ever thought of cooking sweet batter in small fluted moulds at a very high temperature ?  Luckily for us they did and today these deliciously sweet bites are enjoying the limelight.  

 Canelé are reputedly tricky to make; the batter is the easy part – the cooking of canelé is what makes it tricky. The art is in cooking the sweet batter of the canelé for a short burst in a  fiercely hot oven. The heat boils the batter trapping the air in pockets as the batter sets. Once cooked the insides are aerated and creamy soft in texture. The outside of the canelé is caramelised forming a dark, crisp shell.

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Launch Day -At Home in Cumbria – A Recipe Book

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‘At Home in Cumbria, A Recipe Book’, is written as a fundraiser for Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland who this year celebrate twenty years of caring for people with life limiting illnesses in their own homes.  Over 125 delicious recipes each inspired by the flavours of Cumbria and often using traditional ideas with a modern twist, ‘At Home in Cumbria’, celebrates Cumbrian food at its best.  In between the recipes are food stories from twenty Seven artisan and award wining Cumbrian food producers from the region.    Continue reading →

Two Autumn Tarts, and an explaination for my long absence!

Figs warming in the sun
Hedgerown Blackberries

Autumn seems to have arrived early this year – the hedgerows are burgeoning with black berries and orchard trees are heavy with soft fruits and early apples begging to be picked.  There is a limit to how much of this gorgeous produce one can consume while its fresh, so it is a busy time of year for cooks in the kitchen as we turn the excess into chutney, jams and jellies. I also like to make fruit pies that can be prepared for freezing and cooking later. It makes for very easy entertaining throughout the late autumn and winter months.

Here are two of my favourite recipe: 1: Fig Tart with Brown Sugar Frangipani and Spelt Pastry. 2: Apple, Pear and Blackberry Open Pie with a Dark Muscovado and Allspice Streusel Topping.   Continue reading →

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