Marzipan or Sugarpan?

Make your own Marzipan

Day 8 of my Christmas countdown, as promised yesterday in my Late Christmas Cake recipe  today’s recipe is for home made Marzipan.

Although I personally do not favour a traditional Christmas Cake, preferring something lighter & less sugary, I know, for a lot of people, Christmas would not be complete without one. The cake in yesterdays recipe is a variation on the good old traditional theme. Today’s marzipan recipe is prepared using fresh natural ingredients & also makes you aware of the additives & preservatives used in most store bought Marzipan or Almond paste, as it is also known.

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  A Christmas Classic?

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  Home make your Marzipan

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  Store bought Marzipan

Do you head to the super market & grab a pack of ready -made Marzipan? Have you read the small print on theback?  It should really be called Sugarpan, because the main ingredient is, guess what, SUGAR!!  OK, most recipes call for half ground almonds & half sugar, but even in the more respected stores, ground Almonds only account for 25% of the product, the rest being made up with the afore mentioned sugar & other additives. So here goes:

HOME MADE MARZIPAN

. G/F. V. Low Fodmap  Allergens: EGG. Cooking Time Nil. Covers 1 10cm Cake or smaller cake with enough left over to make chocolate marzipans.

Ingredients:

450g Ground Almonds (Good Quality)

225g Icing Sugar

225g Caster Sugar

2 Small Eggs

Juice of half a lemon

1. Tbspn Rum or Sherry

1.Tbspn Orange Flower Water

Few drops Almond Essence

METHOD

Place the dry ingredients in a large bowl & mix together well.

Pour in the lightly beaten eggs & add the other liquids, mixing with your hands, to form a smooth paste.

DO NOT USE A FOOD MIXER. When the ingredients have bound together, forming a smooth paste, wrap in cling film & chill for a couple of hours. Over working the paste will result in an oily paste, caused by the oil being released from the almonds. Ifyou do not wish to use alcohol in the recipe, replace with Elderflower Syrup.Use fresh, free range eggs, as the rich yellow yolks, produce a good coloured Marzipan.

Use as required, rolling out on a board which has been dusted with icing sugar, to prevent sticking.

Any left- over Marzipan can be rolled onto balls or cut into shapes & dipped in melted chocolate & used for decoration. If you are feeling creative, you can always whip up a boozy Christmas Stollen with your lovely home made Marzipan in the centre.

Until tomorrow, when the recipe will be “The Icing on the Cake”. Have a lovely evening

Christmas Stollen with Home made Marzipan

Lemon Mincemeat

How to make Vegan Mincemeat

We all like those little pies full of tangy, vine fruits & spices, I say all, but, thats not quite true. Vegans are appalled by the addition of suet, in these festive fillers. 

All is not lost dearest Vegans, you shall have a pie. For I have created this luscious mince meat, especially with you in mind. Bursting with a tangy lemon flavour, using dried, cherries, berries & ginger & soaked in a shot or two of Greek Metaxa. Delicious.

A taste of Sunshine

Vegan Lemon Mincemeat

Makes 2.5 kg      Time taken 1 hour  G/F D/F Vegan, Vegetarian  Allergens: NUTS

Ingredients:

6, Large Unwaxed Lemons

450g, Mixed Dried berries, cherries & cranberries.

225g, Crystalised Ginger or other fruit to your liking.

100g Shelled, green Pistachio nuts.

5, tbspns Olive Oil.

700g, Soft brown sugar.

1/2 level tspn each of nutmeg, ground mixed spice & cinnamon

200ml Brandy. ( I use Metaxa 5* Greek)

Method

Halve the lemons & squeeze out the juice & reserve.

Quarter the lemon peel, remove flesh & excess white pith

Place the prepared skins in a saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil & simmer for 30mins.

Drain, cool slightly & place in a food processor, with the crystallised ginger,

Process until finely chopped.

Turn into a bowl & add the olive oil, pistachio nuts, dried fruits, strained lemon juice & sugar. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Add the spices & brandy, stir well again & pack into sterilized jars. Cover & seal.

This is a gorgeous & unusual recipe for mincemeat with a tangy flavour. Can be used immediately, but improves with keeping.

Dried Berries & Cherries

Tomorrows Countdown to Christmas recipe will be Pastry, plus a gluten free version. Also a fool proof rough puff, with a difference.

Until tomorrow. Have a great evening

West Wiltshire Magazine

I found a publication on Issuu that I think you’ll love. Find out more about our Cookery Lesson in this months issue of The West Wilts Magazine.

Check this out:

TRUFFLEicious Feb 2018

West Wilts Mag

 

 

Dying for Dessert

Recipe,Apple Shortcake

Good afternoon foodies. The weekend is here. As you might have a little more time on your hands, I thought you may like a recipe which is equally good served hot for a Sunday Lunch dessert, or cold as a tea time treat.

APPLE & CLOTTED CREAM SHORTCAKE.  Serves 4. Vegetarian. Time taken 20 mins +  30 mins cooking.  Oven temp 200c ,Gas 6 , 400F    18 cm shallow cake tin.

INGREDIENTS: SHORTCAKE

130g Plain Flour

2 tspns Baking Powder

1tbspn Caster Sugar

50g Butter

5 Tbpns Milk

Pinch of Salt

INGREDIENTS: TOPPING

3, Eating Apples. Cored, peeled & cut into thin wedges.

150ml Double or Clotted Cream

75g Soft Brown Sugar

2 Large Egg Yolks.  Use the whites for meringues, or add to scrambled eggs or an omelette

1/4tspn Freshly grated Nutmeg

METHOD.

Put all the ingredients, except the milk) in a food processor & pulse until the mix becomes fine breadcrumbs. Add the milk, pulse to mix to a smooth dough. Remove from processor & spread over the bottom & up the sides of the tin.

Beat together the topping ingredients.

Arrange the apple over the top of the shortcake & pour over the cream mixture.

Place in the centre of a preheated oven, bake for 30-40mins, lowering the temperature to 180c, Gas 4, 350F after 15mins.  Until golden brown.

You can alter the fruit in this recipe according to whats in season. In the summer, raspberries are absolutely delicious especially served with ice cream & raspberry liqueur.

If you have made this recipe, please leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Happy Sunday Foodies

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Recipe for the Spice of life

Happy New Year Foodies. Hope you all a fantastic Christmas and are facing the New Year with a fistful of positive thoughts and a desire to eat healthier & save money.

Hopefully, the recipe I am going to give you below will not only help you to get creative with some vegetables, but it may also help you save money.

To the basic recipe, which is gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian and vegan, you can add whatever leftovers you may have.  You could add cooked chicken, beef, lamb, pork if you are meat lovers. For the Pesco-vegetarians among us you could add, fish, canned or fresh, or sea food.  Change the veg if you like and stir in a couple of table spoons of crunchy peanut butter to give a Satay like flavour. Variations are endless. TRY IT.

BASIC RECIPE. Serves 4.  GF/DF/V/Vegan.   Time taken 20mins + Cooking. Varies on Veg used & size of chunks.  ALLERGENS IN BOLD.

The video clip above gives yo a view of the different cooking stages.

2. Tbspns Olive Oil

2. Large Garlic Cloves, peeled  chopped

1 Large Red Onion, Peeled & finely sliced

2 Fresh Chillies, Finely Sliced. ( Seeds removed if you like less heat)

2cm Fresh Ginger, Peeled & finely chopped

2 Tbspns Tandoori Spice Mix

1 Tbspn Ground Coriander

2. Large Parsnips, Peeled & Cut into chunks

2. Med Pots, Peeled & Cut into chunks

1 Large Aubergine, Halved & Salted for 20 mins ( Removes the bitter juices)

400 ml Can Chickpeas, drained & rinsed

4, Leftover chopped soft Fresh Tomatoes or a Tin of Tomatoes

Seasoning

Chopped Coriander.

Salting Aubergines

METHOD.

Heat the oil in a large pan on the hob over a medium heat.  Add the chilli, ginger & onion & fry for 5 mins. Add the potatoes & parsnips & sir fry for a further 5 mins.

Stir in the ground coriander & the Tandoori Spice & Stir Fry for a further 5mins. Add the tomatoes. Bring to the boil, partially cover & simmer until the veg are soft.

5 mins before the end of cooking, stir in the chopped garlic & the rinsed, salted aubergine, which has been cut into chunks & the Chickpeas.

Season to taste. Sprinkle on the chopped Coriander.

Serve with warm naan bread,  thick Greek yoghurt, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds & lime pickle. Alternatively served with boiled rice or pearled spelt.

This dish is even better, reheated the next day & is equally delicious served cold as a lunch box salad.

If you would like a cookery lesson on a 1 to 1 basis, or a group demonstration, find out more on our Cookery Tuition Website  >>  Cookery Lessons

Happy Eating.