Berry Crumble

These days I rarely have impromptu suppers at home but when I do I don’t even think twice about making this recipe for crumble, or adaptations of it. Crumbles are so versatile, plus they take almost an insignificant number of minutes to assemble. The baking takes a little longer but you don’t have to do anything while it’s in the oven anyway. It takes the pressure off cooking, especially when you know you have a standby recipe for emergencies.

This is technically not a typical seasonal recipe, but I thought to include it today because for me this time of year is all about emergencies, and a great pick-me-up during stressful times. I know that for many of you Christmas preparations can be a nightmare, but I hope the work and planning that goes on behind the scenes is ultimately worth it. I dare to say this is one of the healthiest recipes in this blog, excluding those times when there’s cream involved, of course – however it is Christmas so there’s nothing wrong in a little indulgence!

For the topping you need:

• 125g butter
• 60g jumbo oats
• 40g flaked almonds
• 30g sunflower seeds
• 70g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 75g light brown sugar

For the fruit mixture:

• 500g frozen blackberries (mixed summer fruits would also be a good option)
• 2 teaspoons cornflour
• 50g vanilla sugar or caster sugar

Preheat your oven to 200ºC/Gas mark 6. Melt the butter and put to one side.

In a bowl combine the oats, flaked almonds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon and brown sugar.
Place the fruit of your choice in a round shallow pie dish and sprinkle the cornflour and sugar as evenly as possible over it. Move the dish about to mix. (You’ll need the cornflour to absorb some of the juices since the fruit has been in the deep freeze for some time.)

Stir the melted butter into the topping (dry oat mixture), and spoon this on top of the frozen fruit on top. Do not cover completely as to end up with some of the fruit peaking out of the topping. It will look really pretty!

Bake for around 25-30 minutes. Serve this alone or with double cream during the colder months. (In Summer it’s perfect with ice cream.)

Enjoy!

Rob x

(Recipe adapted from Nigella Express, Chatto & Windus, 2007.)

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From the archives: Lemon Syrup Cake

A very good friend of mine came over to London for a short work-related visit. I hate not having a cake or some cookies standing by for days like these, but, as is so typical of me lately (don’t ask me why because I have absolutely no idea), I found myself frantically flipping through countless cake recipes and notes, not knowing what to do. After a few deep breaths and one lemon and ginger tea, it became as clear as day. The solution was simple: lemon cake. I love this recipe and I knew it was going to work. It brings so many memories of when I first started this blog. Enough nostalgia though and on with the baking.

• 125g unsalted butter
• 175g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• zest of a lemon
• 175g self-raising flour
• pinch of salt 
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 100g icing sugar

Tin: 23 x 13 x 7cm loaf tin (or similar), properly greased and lined

Preheat your oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. When you line your tin with baking paper make sure it comes up to around 1cm or a bit more to the sides (see photo). This will make unmoulding much easier.

In a large bowl whisk together the butter and sugar, then add the eggs and lemon zest and beat well. Fold in the flour and salt (you can leave the salt out if you want), and add the milk. Pour the batter into the loaf tin and place it in the oven. In the meantime prepare the syrup (see method below). Bake for around 45 minutes, or until golden and check with a skewer or knife to make sure it’s done.

Prepare the syrup by placing the lemon juice and icing sugar in a small pot over the heat and swirl the pan gently until the sugar dissolves. Puncture tiny holes in the cake and pour the syrup over the cake while it is still in the tin. Make sure the middle part absorbs as much liquid as the sides.

When the cake is completely cold, you can lift it up from the loaf tin onto your serving plate. If the cake is still warm it might crumble.

Incidentally my friend brought me a big bag of Mediterranean lemons from the tree in her garden. These will be very happy days, with many many baking days ahead! Enjoy! R xx

(This recipe is adapted from How to be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.)

Nigella’s Holiday Hot Cake

I live in a Victorian building. It’s not insulated well and even though we do have heating, it still gets cold in the evening. Last week temperatures were almost unbearable, and everyone was rightly complaining. Main reason: the snow. We’re still using the oven almost everyday. Baking pizzas, cakes and the likes helps to warm up my tiny kitchen. Yep – that’s the excuse you see!

One of my favourite things is the Holiday Hot Cake from Nigella Express. It’s easy and you don’t need any fancy equipment to make it. It doesn’t look good on photos either but it *is* good. I don’t like advocat too much so I don’t add anything with the whipped cream. I make it during Christmas, but this year it has made a very special appearance during the Easter break. No one minded.

You can find the recipe on Nigella’s website here. Enjoy!

Rob x

Mini Macarons

When we travel I tend to stay away from shopping in general; one exception though is food of course. (Another exception is tea towels, but that’s not a given either, and yes, it’s kitsch.) We have not travelled much lately but J has been to Zurich for a couple of days. I knew he would get some kind of liqueur with him but I never expected him to return with these little dainty babies. It’s true to say that the best gifts are the unexpected ones and this box of goodies was a nice surprise from Sprüngli.

I never had macarons before, let alone teeny tiny ones like these. Delicious. They came in a pink box, with one little note of instruction, something along the lines of: to be eaten as soon as you see them, my interpretation of course, or best when fresh. And as I *almost always* do as I am told, we devoured them, in a matter of days…*a few days* but  we certainly didn’t want the box to finish. Next time I’m in Zurich, I now know what to get. And, like a dog with treats, I salivate when I think about them.

As I haven’t yet attempted to make them myself (I have to someday) I am happy just to eat them, for now.

Enjoy the pics.

Rob x

 

Kwareżimal – a traditional Lenten recipe

I must apologise for my long absence! I cannot believe I have not written anything for you here since the 20-something of February. I was in Malta for a short while, enjoying the sunshine. I needed it. (It’s a glorious day today, so I’m done complaining.) Before I left though, I spent most weekends in the kitchen, trying new recipes and also cooking some old ones, which are still going strong. The saying goes if something ain’t broken, don’t fix it. However a little while ago I promised you a good recipe for Kwareżimal, and after a few adjustments here it is. This is the perfect time to try it out.

Kwareżimal is a traditional Maltese biscuit widely found on the island during Lent. The authentic recipe, for lack of a better word, has no eggs and no butter. No one fusses too much about fasting anymore, (few people avoid sweets for 40 days) and anyway, I think that one egg for binding doesn’t do any harm. I use plain flour together with ground almonds, which makes the recipe less of an expense. If you love almonds as much as the Maltese do, then this one’s for you. Makes 4 large rectangular shaped cookies.

• 200g plain flour
• 200g ground almonds
• 250g golden caster sugar
• 30g cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract
• zest of 1 lemon
• ½ teaspoon orange oil (substitute this with orange flower water if you prefer)*
• golden syrup, slightly warm for brushing the tops
• enough flaked almonds to cover the surface of the biscuits

Preheat the oven to 190 ºC and line one or two baking trays with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, place the flour, ground almonds, caster sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon and lightly mix with a spoon or a whisk.

Add the beaten egg, vanilla extract, lemon zest and orange oil* and continue mixing, using your clean hands. The mixture will turn into a fragrant dark-ish dough.

Place the biscuit dough onto a floured surface and divide it into 4 rectangular pieces, placing these onto the prepared baking tray as you go. Brush the surfaces with the golden syrup, slightly warmed into a more liquid consistency, and sprinkle the flaked almonds.

Bake for around 20 to 25 minutes, till they turn slightly golden. Take them out of the oven when they feel a little soft to the touch.

This is such an easy one to make. Good, easy with minimal cleaning. What more could you ask for? Enjoy!

Rob x