Chocolate Brownies with Pecans

 Butter 6.5 oz

Sugar  9.5 oz

Eggs 3 large

cocoa 2oz

plain flour 3 oz 

Chocolate 70% cocoa solids  6.5 oz 

Pecans   chopped 1.5 oz

Melt the butter and chocolate over a bowl of hot water

Sieve the flour and cocoa together

Whisk the eggs and sugar together for 5-10 minutes until thick then add the melted butter and chocolate stirring gently.

Add the pecans and the melted but cooled flour and cocoa and gently fold into the mixture. Nothing vigorous as you don't want to knock out any of the air that has been whisked into the egg and sugar mixture.

Place in an 8 in square tin that has been lined with baking parchment or foil.

Cook for about 25-30 minutes at 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

When it's done there should be a thin crust with a gooey but not wobbly mix underneath.

Leave to cool before removing from the tin.

Optional add some white chocolate chips in with the pecans.

 

Tarte aux Quetches

 This tarte is popular from  the Alsace ( Tarte au quetches) to Germany (Quetschekuche) 

 I know about it as my grandfather grew up in Belgium.

Quetche plums are small dark purple plums. I have Victoria plums from the garden so use those instead.

 

 

My version     (scroll down for a Bavarian version)

Victoria Plums halved and stones removed

 For the base, blend these ingredients by hand or in a food processor.

8oz self raising flour ( altenative option for more texture, replace 2 oz of the flour with  2oz ground almonds or semolina)

4 oz butter

2 oz sugar

1 egg

vanilla extract to taste  (alternatives almond essence or cinnamon)

Roll out like pastry or press onto a cake tin or baking dish. 

I used a rectangular non stick cake tin 8x12 in

Arrange the plums on top overlapping so that you get plenty on as they shrink during cooking.

Bake at gas 6 for 45-50 min

Enjoy with cream or Greek yogurt.

Can be frozen.

The base can vary from a yeasted dough to a shortcrust pastry and the plums are sometimes sprinkled with streusel. you can find a Bavarian recipe here

Chocolate Brownies with Pecans and Morello Cherries

 

Ingredients

• 115g/4oz unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 170g/6oz caster sugar I used half soft brown sugar
• 2 free-range eggs beaten
• 100g/3½ oz plain chocolate (minimum 65% cocoa solids I used 85%) chopped
• 55g/2oz pecans (optional) chopped
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 55g/2oz plain flour
• 55g/1oz cocoa powder
• 55g/2oz morello cherries or raspberries

Optional

• 2 tsp instant coffee granules
• 2 tbsp warm water

Cream the butter and sugar then add the eggs.

Fold in the flour and cocoa then mix in the chocolate nuts and cherries.

Cook at gas 4 for 30-40min.

 

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Traudl's Apple Cake

 

 

This recipe came from my good friend Traudl who lived near us for many years. She originally came from Bavaria. I always enjoyed a slice of this at her house usually with cream or ice cream.

 

 

 

 

 

I also do several of my own variations of this recipe. 

Sprinkle cinnamon and flaked almonds on before cooking. 

Swap the plain flour with self raising flour and just press into the tin so skip rolling it out. The base turns out more cakey. 

I don't always peel the apples.

Add either vanilla or almond essence to the base.

Frozen Bramley slices or Granny Smith slices work well too

Plum with almond cake  

 

This is a variation of the apple cake. I used SR flour instead of plain, almond essence instead of vanilla and cooking plums instead of apple. I added 2 tsp milk to the batter mixture.

I cooked it at gas 6 for 40 minutes. as ovens vary check it after 30 min.

Beetroot and Barley with Mackerel

 

Whole barley cooked with garlic and ras al hanout, cooked beetroot, peas and runner beans served with fried mackerel.

Veggie Haggis aka The Wee Green Beastie

 

 

 

I went to a St Andrew's day online concert party given by Elsa Jean McTaggart and Gary Lister from the Isle of Lewis    details here

To get in the mood I looked at several veggie haggis recipes online and read Felicity Cloake's survey of recipes for the Guardian online. She quotes a recipe for the traditional meaty haggis which says “Leave the windpipe out of the pan to disgorge the phlegm.” Her response was call me squeamish, but I do not deal in culinary phlegm.

The one I liked the best was from Graham Campbell at Great British Chefs  

I didn't have all the ingredients for his recipe so took some cues from what was in stock and what the other recipes included.

The recipe didn't specify what sort of lentil to use. I had red lentils and Puy lentils , either would do. I chose red lentils.

For spices I used nutmeg. I didn't have allspice or cinnamon so I used a Spice Mountain Lebanese 7 spice mix.

Instead of Borlotti beans I used kidney beans with their juice and roughly chopped in a Thermomix

Instead of stock and salt I water and added plenty of soy sauce.

Instaed of 2 egg yolks I used egg. For a vegan version just leave the egg out.

The recipe said to wrap the haggis rolls in cling film and poach for 30 min. I thought that was too much faff for me. Instead I arranged them in a casserole dish added a tablespoon of water, covered with the lid and microwaved them for 10 min and that worked well.

They were delish and were followed with a wee dram of Glenmorangie Whisky,

My Version Vegetarian haggis

• 300g of kidney beans, rinsed, roughly chopped
• 30g of butter
•   1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 80g of shitake mushrooms, finely chopped
• 3 carrots peeled and grated
• 80g of red lentils
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 500ml of vegetable stock
• 50g of porridge oats
• Ground nutmeg and Lebanese 7 spice mix (add to taste) 
• Rosemary
• Thyme
  

 Fry the onion, garlic and mushrooms in the butter.

Add the carrot, lemon zest, rosemary, thyme and lentils cover with stock and simmer for 15 min,,

Add the oats and cook for a further 2-3 min

Add the lemon juice, salt and spices to taste.

Leave to cool while you prep the cabbage leaves. Par boil approx 8 whole leaves for 4 min.

Drain and cool them with cold water.

Add the egg to the filling and mix well.

Take a generous spoonful of mix and wrap it in a cabbage leaf. If the mix looks a bit wet for stuffing the cabbage leaves with add a bit more oatmeal.

Put the stuffed leaves into a casserole dish with I tbs water. Cover and microwave for 10 min. 

Or instead of stuffing the leaves you could assemble it lasagne style in the casserole dish  and alternate layers of mix and cabbage leaf.

Can be frozen for use later.

 

Sweet Potato, Cheese and Sweet Pepper Muffins

1/2 medium sized sweet potato (or equivalent amount of butternut squash)
1 1/2 cups white SR flour
1/2 cup wholemeal flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 large onion
2 eggs
A handful of chopped peppers, red, yellow and green
A handful of chopped parsley
1-2 oz cheddar
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2-3 tbs milk, the amount of milk to add depends on the flour, the mix should be slightly wetter than soft dropping consistency,
1/2 tsp salt or to taste

Cook the sweet potato, I microwaved it for 6 min. When cooked remove the skin.
Blitz the onion in a food processor or Thermomix, Add the sweet potato and blitz again.
Add the egg, peppers and parsley and blitz again.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.
 Divide the mixture between 12 paper cases or use a well oiled/greased muffin tray.

Cook at gas 6, 200C for 35-40 min.

These are delicious eaten hot, the outer is almost like a choux bun and are moist and soft inside.

Next time I will try adding some chopped pecans or walnuts.