I remember helping Gran mixing the eggs and sugar for this recipe: sitting on the kitchen chair with a big bowl on my lap, a wooden spoon in my hand. Stirring and stirring with a childish conviction till my arms were aching and the contents of the bowl turned fluffy and pale yellow. Nowadays,...
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Based on Maida Heatter’s Budapest Coffee Cake from from her Book of Great Desserts with a few changes. Filling: 100g dark brown sugar 1tbsp cinnamon 1tbsp cocoa powder 35g sultanas 100g walnuts, toasted & chopped 60ml dark rum Batter: 140g butter 300g caster sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 lemon, zest only 3 eggs,...
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This was a special request bake for the good man’s birthday. Based on the brilliant Anna Olson’s recipe, with a few changes, it makes two cakes, which is handy considering the amount of time that goes into preparation and baking. Don’t expect a tall cake in the traditional sense, think along the lines of low...
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The traditional Hungarian walnut and poppy seed rolls for Christmas. rising and proving time: 2 hours oven temperature: 200˚C/gas 6 cooking time: 25-30 mins makes: 4 rolls, two of each filling yeast dough: 600g flour 225g butter (at room temperature) 60g icing sugar 15g fresh yeast (or 1 sachet/7g fast action dried yeast) lightly dissolved...
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It’s membrillo cake time again. I am baking it for the second time. It brought back floods of memories from the time when I was little and naive about food. I would eat most of the things that were on offer. It wasn’t difficult to be tempted by the fruit trees grandma had in...
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This is quince cheese or membrillo in Spanish. Here is how I made it. Take as many quinces as you have at hand (I only had a couple). Wash but don’t peel them. Chop the quinces roughly and put them in a pan, skins, seeds, core the whole lot. Add enough water to barely...
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The oaty ginger cake from Yorkshire, traditionally eaten on Guy Fawkes Night. It’s dense and comforting, goes down well with a cup of coffee or tea on any day of the year. Ingredients: 160g soft brown or muscovado sugar 100g black treacle 75g butter 200g fine oatmeal or porridge oats 100g wholemeal self-raising flour...
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I have to admit that I have a slight obsession with butternut squash. Anything savoury or sweet made with the perky orange flesh will find its way onto my plate. Peeling and chopping the squash takes time and effort, but it’s worth it: the colour is uplifting, the taste, when cooked is velvety smooth...
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This is a fragrant, light and moist cake thanks to the yogurt and lemons. Recipe can be found here.
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