A Biscuit for all seasons (well the colder ones mainly)

Oaty fruity cinnamony honeyed biscuits
Makes about 15 biscuits
Preparation time: about 35 mins (excluding the washing up!)

I was sorting out some stuff while watching a "Man for all Seasons" and was inspired to bake something to go with some tea and also to spice up the lunch box this week.
These ingredients were sort of what I had left after making Christmas cakes. I added the honey as my supply of sugar was low and well it tastes nice. The oats, honey and spice add a medieval touch something that might have cheered Thomas Moore as he rotted in the tower. In fact the biscuits are so good they could have Sir Thomas recant his conscience!

Pre-heat your oven to 180°C
What you'll need:
50g butter
100g caster sugar
2 tablespoons of runny honey
1 egg, beaten
50g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
175g porridge oats
125g mixed dried fruit

What to do:
1. Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. (You could use a mixer but is it worth the faff for a few biscuits?)
2. Add the beaten egg and mix until combined.
3. Add the flour, salt and baking powder into the batter and stir to mix it in.
4. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix to combine thoroughly (the mixture will be thick).
5. Grease two baking trays and place large tablespoons of the mixture some 2 inches apart on them.
6. Place the trays in the pre-heated oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until nicely browned all over.
7. Remove from the oven and allow cooling slightly on the baking trays before putting them on a cooling rack..

To serve: some proper tea and a Oscar winning period piece concerning the balance between our moral duties to a higher being and our allegiance to the state in the form of the monarch that or you could watch a western.

Simple is best

Classic baked Cheesecake

Serves 10-15

Cooking time 30-40 preparation plus 1-15Hr cooking and best with overnight chilling.

Like most people who grew up in UK from the 70's onwards cheese cake means only one thing a pudding you got on special occasions that was made out of a box that had 3 packets in it. These cakes were great they tasted good, me and my brothers could make them ourselves, and they seemed dead sophisticated especially the black cherry one and they made a change from those flans with jelly and mandarins on them.

I know they may have been "filled with chemicals" but we only had them every so often and hey most things came in packets soup (just add water), mash (just add robots) and for brief period pizza (just add well cheese)!

I think once when I was staying with another family we had another form of cheese cake from the "deli" counter at COOP but if memory serves this was just a lump of very ripe Cheshire cheese on some biscuits with pineapple on the top, it strangely horrid.

It took all the way until 21st century for me to try "real" cheese cake, and of course being dead flash I tried it just of Bleeker st in the Village, I think the place was called Dantes and claimed to specialise in the stuff. Well on a grey NY day with some coffee it wasn't too bad and after having some more from Gaby's back here in London I decided to give it a go. I've made one 5 or 6 times and I think keeping it simple is the key. Many of the recipes involve adding chocolate to the base or having varied sauces or topping but I think like tomato soup or vanilla ice cream, somethings are better kept one flavour. Sadly this week I lost my nerve and included a summer fruit compote/sauce as in picture but eating it again for New Year's day breakfast it was better without the berries.

What follows is adaption of a Nigella recipe including my variations as I always like to see how recipes evolve.

What you'll need

Spring bottom baking tin mine is 8inch
Cling film and tin foil
Deep sided Roasting pan big enough for your baking tin.
125g each of Hobnobs and gingernuts (added the later to add a bit of spice)
75g of unsalted butter
100g of caster sugar
Nigella suggested 4 eggs and I yolk I just added 5 eggs
700g cream cheese (mine was Turkish I think and came in brine so I soaked it in milk for an hour to rinse of the salt to save time just buy Philadelphia!)
125 ml of double cream
Again the saintly N suggested 2 tablespoons of cornflour which I forgot to buy so I replaced with custard powder!!
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
The finely chopped zest of 1 lemon
The juice of half the lemon this (replaces apple schnapps in NL list!)

Sauce (just so you know but I'd not bother next time)
500g of frozen mixed summer fruit
splash of sloe gin
Sugar to taste.

What you need to do:

1. Blitz the biscuits into sandy dust in the blender.
   
2. I deviated from NL here and melted the butter in pan and added it t the biscuits she just mixes it with the biscuits.
   
3. Pressed the crumbs and butter into the bottom of the baking tin in an even layer.
   
4. Put the tin in the oven to firm up.
   
5. Preheat the oven 170 C.
   
6. Clean out the mixer bowl.
   
7. Add to the clean bowl the eggs, cheese, cream, cornflour (custard powder) vanilla and lemon zest and mix up into smooth liquid.
   
8. Add the lemon juice at the end and stir in.
   
9. Now wrap the base of the baking tin with Clingfilm to ensure the liquid doesn't leak out. I used to 2 layers then wrap the film in tin foil to protect it from the heat.
   
10. Pour the cheese mixture onto the crumb base and place the tin in to the baking tray. Put the whole lot onto the oven shelf and then top up the roasting tray with hot water up half the height of the cake tin.
    
11. Close the oven door and bake for 1 hour, then check to see if it is a little wobbly in middle and has set if not give it another 15 mins.
    
12. By which time it should have as my friend S said a "proper patisserie" browned top.
    
13. Take it out of the oven and let it stand and cool for while.
    
14. Remove the film and foil and refrigerate overnight before eating.
    

    For the sauce:

Put the fruit and sloe gin in pan and simmer down until it's a sauce but not too cooked down then mix in the sugar to the sweetness you prefer. But like I say the Cheese cake probably doesn't need it so pass it separate and then put it on to some yoghurt the next day it keeps in the fridge for a while.

Red,red,red soup

Roast tomato soup
Serves four.
Preparation time 20 mins and 1:15 hours roasting and simmering

At this time of year tomatoes aren’t necessarily at their best but ironically you don’t want hot tomato soup in the summer do you! Roasting the ingredients makes life very easy and also adds loads of caramelised sugary flavours as well as concentrating and deepening them. I’ve added a little Heston Blumenthal’s trick I saw on one his programmes which is to add the vines from the tomatoes to the stewing soup as they contain the essence of tomatoes and add extra flavour. You do need to remember to remove them like the bay leaves before liquidising the soup though.

What you’ll need:
3.5 kg mix of tomatoes I used vine and little yellow plum shaped cherries.
2 medium red onions
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp dried Oregano
A few glugs of olive oil
A good squirt of tomato puree
A good squirt of ketchup
Pinch of dried chillies
Splash of Worcester sauce
Caster sugar to taste.
Salt & pepper.

Optional to serve:
I made some cheesy toasties and added a swirl of cream.

What you'll need to do:
1. Pre heat the oven 180 oC.

2. Take the tomatoes and if they have them remove the vines (and retain for later) and cut them in half.
3. Place the tommies in a large roasting dish and peel and quarter the onions and add to the pan.
4. Season the veg, splash with oil and mix them around,
5. Put in the hot oven and leave to roast for 30-40 mins until they have coloured and roasted but not burnt.
6. Next empty the roasting dish into large sauce pan and add the rest of the ingredients (including the retained stalks) except the sugar. If it needs it add water to stop the mixture sticking, just a bit.
7. Stir and put on the heat to simmer covered with a lid until the tomatoes are collapsed and the flavours blended.
8. Now taste the soup if it’s too sour add the sugar (to counter the acid in the tomatoes) and also adjust the seasoning.
9. Remove the tomatoes stalks and bay leaves and blend, you made need to add a little water to help the whizzing.
10. Return to the pan and reheat and adjust the amount of fluid and check the seasoning and serve.
11. Add a swirl of cream it might look a bit 70’s but it tastes good and add some bread or toast perfection.

Twisted Vimto

The best cough medicine in the world (well today at least)

I'm not milking this honest but if you're feeling rough try this subtle twist on the ever popular hot ribena cold remedy.

Serves: One poorly person

Preparation time:

If you are not poorly 5 mins, if you are feeling badly well a bit longer.

What you need:

a cold (well not actually but you know what I mean).

a mug.

boiling water enough for your mug!

slice of lemon.

a good glug of vimto.

a spoon or two of honey.

a shot of whiskey (nothing fancy).

someone to make it for you!

To serve:

a sofa.

something good on the telly.

a duvet optional!

What to do:

1. Boil the kettle

2. Add all the other ingredients to the mug.

3. cough weakly from the sofa in attempt to speed up your DIY Pharmacist.

4. Stir the mug and squeeze the lemon with a teaspoon.

5. Drink when it's cool enough cupping the mug in both hands, it's traditional to say "ahhh" after the first sip and try not to feel quite so sorry for yourself.

Star & Crescent Soup

Celery & Pasta soup.

This recipe apart from allowing me to coin a pleasing name also serves two other purposes: firstly I have a thick cold and so needed something warming and restorative and was feed up with tinned soup. Next I had the problem all cooks have i.e. I made recipe that required one stick of celery. As I refuse to buy those packets of hand washed, pruned and air freighted celery I ended up with a whole head, now I could have munched it for lunch all week. But seeing as I was ailing I thought a simple soup would be good and it would use up my supply of this wonderfully, pungent, flavoursome but underappreciated veg. The soups wonderfully savoury and the pasta gives it some oomph even if you are not coming down with anything!

What you'll need:

Serves 3-4

1 head of celery

I used 4 small banana shallots but an onion is fine

2 litres of stock (I had veggie stock in the freezer and bulked it out with a stock cube and water)

2-3 bay leaves

3-4 pepper corns

A handful (possibly 2 if you've small hands) of Stelline star pasta

Salt to taste.

The juice of a quarter of a lemon.

Serve with bread, chopped celery greens or parsley and in my case a splash of Tabasco (look I've a cold)

Prep time 20-30 mins (max) cooking time 40-60 minutes

What to do:

1. Get the stock boiling in a big pan.
   


2. Chop the shallots finely.
   


3. Chop the celery very thinly into crescents or half moons hence the name!( I used a mandolin for this)
   


4. Put the celery and shallots into the boiling stock and give it stir.
   


5. Add the pepper corns and bay leaves and leave to simmer for 40 mins.
   


6. After 40 minutes check the softness of the veg and if it's soft (if not give it more time but you knew that didn't you) put in the handful of pasta and stir again.
   


7. You may need to add a bit more stock or water as the pasta boils depending on how thin you like your soup.
   


8. When the pastas is cooked serve! I added a squeeze of lemon, the greens and chilli sauce but see what you think.
   

Oh a regardless of the name you don't have to only eat it at night!

Hot stuff for cold nights

Steak & Kidney hotpot.

Serves 4-6
Time 20-40 prep 2-3hr cooking times.
I wanted something straightforward and simple for Saturday evening and stewing steak looked good in the butchers and they helpfully mixed in some fresh kidneys for me. After that the rest just picked themselves. I'm not sure whether this sort of casserole is great for winter because its' warming etc or because you want to stay in and so can keep half an eye on the dish as it bubbles in the oven.

What you need:
1 kg of stewing steak inch cubed

500 g of kidney (cleaned of the nasty bits)

2 medium leeks cleaned and sliced
2 medium carrots cubes
3 small turnips sliced
Medium onion large dice
400g tin pre-cooked black eyed peas

500g potatoes sliced thin
2-3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons dried oregano
½ litre of Stock made from veg off cuts and stock cube
Splashes of soy sauce & Worcester sauce
Salt and pepper
Flour for dusting.
150 g knobs of butter
Oil
Large casserole with lid (2 litres)
Serve with bread for the gravy and readymade horseradish sauce and or HP sauce and of course if you like pickled red cabbage.

What to do:

Pre heat oven 160 ^o C.

1. Using the casserole if it’s stove proof or large frying pan. Once you’ve prepared the veg, sweat the carrots, leeks and onions in a few spoonfuls of oil. Once they have softened remove with slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Dredge the diced meat in seasoned flour mixing it well so it’s all coated.
3. In batches brown the meat setting aside the batches until you’ve done it all.
4. Then incorporate the veg and meat together mixing it up and adding in the drained peas.
5. Season (lots of pepper), add the oregano, bay leaves and the stock.
6. Splash all over with soy and Lea & Perrins.
7. Put the mixture if needs be in the casserole.
8. Remove any of the burnt flour etc from the pan with spare stock or water and add to the casserole.
9. Put the lid on and place in the oven. (I put a baking try under casseroles to catch the spills)
10. Let it cook for ½hour until it is bubbling hard then turn down the heat to 140 o C so it bubbles more gently.
11. Cook for another 45-1hr. While this going on slice the potatoes and turnips.
12. Remove the hotpot (and stir it up) and put the potatoes and turnip on the top either artfully or in a jumble! And cover for 30-40 minutes this is to steam them and cook them through.
13. For last half hour remove the lid dot with butter and brown and crisp the lid.

Serve with the bread and your chosen sauces or cabbage.

My resistance has crumbled..

Apple & Plum Oaty Crumble:

Serves about 4-6 (depending on greed!)

It's even colder today, it's Christmas card making and festive film watching weather so I plum(b)ed for something to warm us to the core....

Crumbles always give the impression of being as old as the hills, the sort of homely dish that the Yeoman of middle England have been returning horny handed to since not long after the Magna Carta was signed. But it was actually popularized during the war as a way eking out ingredients for pies and also as it doesn't need resting like most pastry it was easier for busy (and in some cases new to cooking) mums and housewives to make. Whatever it's easily one of the best puddings going, I've added some orange juice to counter the sweetness of the dessert apples and added oats to the crust for extra texture and flavour.

What you'll need.

Filling

1kg mixture of Plums & apples( Braeburns & coxes), peeled, cored and roughly chopped

Juice of one medium orange

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Good glug of sloe gin

Caster sugar to taste

Topping

90g plain flour

30g porridge oats (I had the ones with a man in kilt on the packet in the cupboard)

90g chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes

6 tablespoons light muscavado sugar

Time: 50-60 mins (most of it is stewing & baking time)

What to do:

1. Put splash of water in a large sauce pan to stop the fruit sticking and add the chopped fruit, sugar and the sloe gin and sprinkle on the cinnamon
2. Heat the mixture with the lid on until the juices start to run and the mixture is almost cooked.
   

Make the Topping:

1. Put the flour and oats in a large mixing bowl.


2. Add the sugar and the cubes of butter .


3. With your coolest hands rub in the flour until you've got breadcrumbs, the odd lump will add to the numblyness.


4. Put the cooked fruit into your pudding dish.


5. Sprinkle on the topping and then when you are ready put in a preheated oven (190C (Gas Mark 5)) for 25-35 mins depending on the dish/ oven and how caramelised you like it.
   
6. I won't offend anyone by telling you to eat with whatever you like with your crumble, I'd go for either custard or ice cream or even what we in our house always call Coronation Milk also as we all know it tastes just as good the next day.

NB: I made mine in half litre foil (takeaway) container so i few in freezer. I frozen them before cooking and will defrost them and cook them as above the portion above makes