I have just finished a baking marathon of lots of Christmas Muffins, Mince Pies, mini mince pies and some christmas pudding truffles that I volunteered to bake for the Alison Curtis Show outside broadcast tonight.
It takes place in Whelans in Dublin in about 2.5 hours and I am only beside myself with the nerves.
I always do this. Volunteer for something and then get sick with nerves in case everyone thinks I am a looper who can't actually bake.
Hopefully, the pretty sugar dusting will make like fairy dust and make it all better!!!!
Will let you know how it goes, and also will post some photos tomorrow. The week seems to be getting away from me this week. We have no TV in the house which I though would be good for getting things done. Only the list of things to do has grown out of control and it is christmas next week!!! EEK!!!
Deep breaths will help surely! I suppose getting dressed before I go out will also help. On that note..... bye now!!
Orls xx
check out the show on http://www.todayfm.com/ and click on the Alison Curtis link. Listen live and see can you hear people eating???
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Pies or Muffins?
Or both?
Mince meat is something that I never liked as a child. And I don't mean mince meat as in beef or lamb or anything like that. I mean the mince pies that were always in our house at christmas time and rolled out (along with the shortbread and pudding) when anyone came into the house. "Sure you know you want one with a cup of tea, it is christmas after all"
However, thanks to a lovely lady that I work with I had a million (maybe a slight exaggeration) apples and had to do something with them. So I made a few bits and pieces such as spicy apple cake, and some apple sponge cake (that my granny used to call Rush'n'mush...don't ask)
This year, after the success of the experimental amoutn I made, I decided to produce a mass of Mince meat, for the pies!
I use the Hettie Potter's Suet Free Mincemeat recipe from Nigella's Domestic Goddess book.
I substitute freshly pressed apple juice instead of the dry-cider, and the finished product has a very fresh and crisp sweet taste to it. This makes about 2kg.
250g soft, dark sugar
250ml medium dry-cider
1kg cooking apples, peeled and quartered
half tsp mixed spice
half tsp ground cinnamon
250g currants
250g raising
75g natural coloured glacé cherries, roughly chopped
75g blanched almonds, finely chopped
rind and juice of half a lemon
90ml brandy
4 x 500g preserving or old jam jars, or one 2kg kilner jar.
In a large, heavy based saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the cider (or apple juice if you wish) overe a gentle heat. Roughly chop the apples and add them to the saucepan.
Then add the other ingredients except the brandy, and simmer for about 30 mins or until everything looks pulpy. This time varies on your cooker and pan!
Take off the heat and when cooled a little stir in the brandy.
Spoon in to sterilized jars*
*to sterilize jars, scrub well in warm soapy water. Rince them well and let them dry off in a cool oven (140c/gas mark 1). Put your product into the jars when they are still warm, so leave them in the oven until you are ready to use!)
This mince meat is really lovely and isn't overpowering at all. I have already got about 20 pies in the freezer and plan to spend the weekend making more!!!!
And I found a scrummy recipe for Mincemeat Muffins, which I will also tackle with vigour. Mr.C, isn't the greatest fan of all things mincemeaty or puddingy but he has told me that he will happily be the tester for anything I want an opinion on... I'm sure!
I will post photos as well as recipes of the new recipes I have and will let you know how they turn out!
Orls
xx
PS Happy Birthday to my other dude Paddy. I was away for his big day last week and I can't believe that he is already 7!!!! Lemony men making their way to you this weekend buddy!!!
:)
Mince meat is something that I never liked as a child. And I don't mean mince meat as in beef or lamb or anything like that. I mean the mince pies that were always in our house at christmas time and rolled out (along with the shortbread and pudding) when anyone came into the house. "Sure you know you want one with a cup of tea, it is christmas after all"
However, thanks to a lovely lady that I work with I had a million (maybe a slight exaggeration) apples and had to do something with them. So I made a few bits and pieces such as spicy apple cake, and some apple sponge cake (that my granny used to call Rush'n'mush...don't ask)
This year, after the success of the experimental amoutn I made, I decided to produce a mass of Mince meat, for the pies!
I use the Hettie Potter's Suet Free Mincemeat recipe from Nigella's Domestic Goddess book.
I substitute freshly pressed apple juice instead of the dry-cider, and the finished product has a very fresh and crisp sweet taste to it. This makes about 2kg.
250g soft, dark sugar
250ml medium dry-cider
1kg cooking apples, peeled and quartered
half tsp mixed spice
half tsp ground cinnamon
250g currants
250g raising
75g natural coloured glacé cherries, roughly chopped
75g blanched almonds, finely chopped
rind and juice of half a lemon
90ml brandy
4 x 500g preserving or old jam jars, or one 2kg kilner jar.
In a large, heavy based saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the cider (or apple juice if you wish) overe a gentle heat. Roughly chop the apples and add them to the saucepan.
Then add the other ingredients except the brandy, and simmer for about 30 mins or until everything looks pulpy. This time varies on your cooker and pan!
Take off the heat and when cooled a little stir in the brandy.
Spoon in to sterilized jars*
*to sterilize jars, scrub well in warm soapy water. Rince them well and let them dry off in a cool oven (140c/gas mark 1). Put your product into the jars when they are still warm, so leave them in the oven until you are ready to use!)
This mince meat is really lovely and isn't overpowering at all. I have already got about 20 pies in the freezer and plan to spend the weekend making more!!!!
And I found a scrummy recipe for Mincemeat Muffins, which I will also tackle with vigour. Mr.C, isn't the greatest fan of all things mincemeaty or puddingy but he has told me that he will happily be the tester for anything I want an opinion on... I'm sure!
I will post photos as well as recipes of the new recipes I have and will let you know how they turn out!
Orls
xx
PS Happy Birthday to my other dude Paddy. I was away for his big day last week and I can't believe that he is already 7!!!! Lemony men making their way to you this weekend buddy!!!
:)
The city that never sleeps, but always eats!!!
I have had that song going through my mind for the last week and a bit. Last wednesday Mr. C and I went to the city that never sleeps, New York, New York.
And it was amazing.
After what was a fairly horrid flight and airplane experience, we arrived in the city at about 8pm US time. We settled into the hotel (http://www.marrakechhotelnyc.com/) and went for food.
We settled on a little mexican place called Mama Mexico for two reasons. The first was because it was right beside the hotel. The other was because they had a mariachi band! A real life mariachi band!!!!
I also discovered that their guac was the best I had ever had! And they made it at the table. A little senor, with a huge tray, with lots of avocodos, cilantro, garlic and choppend onions and tomoatoes. All I can say is I would have eaten there every day given the chance.
Thursday started very early as I was on Irish time and was in bits!!!! Then we headed off for a wander and found ourselves at Katz's Deli at around Lunch time. Covenient eh??? This is where that scene in When Harry Met Sally was filmed. We felt the need to have a Pastrami Sandwich that was about 6 inches thick, which was amazing.http://www.flickr.com/photos/orlak/3101202482/in/photostream/
It was quickly followed by a corned beef sambo! Which was also pretty awesome!
Come dinner time we settled on a fairly small but equally amazing restaurant called Sura Thai Kitchen, which was also by the hotel. Tiny but amazing. And, for the love of god, only $52. Which is about €37.50. For 2 starters, mains and 2 beers!
Anyway, the shining star of the entire trip (apart from spending time with my lovely bloke) was the experience on Saturday night. Mr C and I, and his cousin and wife ate in the amazing Babbo in Greenwich Village. Mario Batali is a genius and if I met him I am not sure that I would shake his hand or kiss him!!!!
Amazing food and wine, the highlight of which was the Fennel Dusted Sweetbreads for my Secondi. I never in my life thought that I would eat sweetbreads but, they are one of the signature dishes.
It took me 2 hours of pressing the redial button on my phone to get a reservation and you can only call a month in advance to the calendar date, but it was so so worth it! (http://www.babbonyc.com/)
Some of the pictures of the trip are at www.flickr.com/orlak Check them out and let me know what you think,
Orls
xxx
And it was amazing.
After what was a fairly horrid flight and airplane experience, we arrived in the city at about 8pm US time. We settled into the hotel (http://www.marrakechhotelnyc.com/) and went for food.
We settled on a little mexican place called Mama Mexico for two reasons. The first was because it was right beside the hotel. The other was because they had a mariachi band! A real life mariachi band!!!!
I also discovered that their guac was the best I had ever had! And they made it at the table. A little senor, with a huge tray, with lots of avocodos, cilantro, garlic and choppend onions and tomoatoes. All I can say is I would have eaten there every day given the chance.
Thursday started very early as I was on Irish time and was in bits!!!! Then we headed off for a wander and found ourselves at Katz's Deli at around Lunch time. Covenient eh??? This is where that scene in When Harry Met Sally was filmed. We felt the need to have a Pastrami Sandwich that was about 6 inches thick, which was amazing.http://www.flickr.com/photos/orlak/3101202482/in/photostream/
It was quickly followed by a corned beef sambo! Which was also pretty awesome!
Come dinner time we settled on a fairly small but equally amazing restaurant called Sura Thai Kitchen, which was also by the hotel. Tiny but amazing. And, for the love of god, only $52. Which is about €37.50. For 2 starters, mains and 2 beers!
Anyway, the shining star of the entire trip (apart from spending time with my lovely bloke) was the experience on Saturday night. Mr C and I, and his cousin and wife ate in the amazing Babbo in Greenwich Village. Mario Batali is a genius and if I met him I am not sure that I would shake his hand or kiss him!!!!
Amazing food and wine, the highlight of which was the Fennel Dusted Sweetbreads for my Secondi. I never in my life thought that I would eat sweetbreads but, they are one of the signature dishes.
It took me 2 hours of pressing the redial button on my phone to get a reservation and you can only call a month in advance to the calendar date, but it was so so worth it! (http://www.babbonyc.com/)
Some of the pictures of the trip are at www.flickr.com/orlak Check them out and let me know what you think,
Orls
xxx
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