Banana Upsidedown Cake

   

Lamb with Pearl Barley

Cheese Puffs

       

Recipe:
1 Cup (8fl oz/225ml) Water.
90g butter.
1 cup(115g) flour.
Pinch salt.
3 Large eggs.
3tbsp parmesan cheese (grated).
Salt & Pepper.
Mustard Powder.

Method:
Preheat the oven to 220degC (fan oven 200C)
Sift the flour and salt onto a square of greaseproof paper.
Place the water and butter in a pan over a medium heat.bring to the boil
remove immediately from the heat and quickly stir in the flour and salt all at once,
using a wooden spoon.
Beat the mixture until it forms a smooth paste that leaves the sides of the pan clean,
leave to cool for a while.
Beat the eggs well,then beat the into the mixture in Six stages until no trace of egg remains,
Beat in the parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt,pepper and mustard powder.
Place dessert spoons of mixture onto a baking sheet, reduce the oven temperature to 200C (Fan 180C)
Bake until golden .

Snowdrops

 

Cranberry, Sultana Bun.

Recipe:

250g Flour
7g Dried Yeast
50g Butter
30g Sugar
175ml Warm Water
1/4 Tsp Salt

1. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Melt the butter and allow to cool down.
2. Make a well in the flour.
3. In a small bowl put the yeast a teaspoon of the sugar and all of the water and mix together.
4. Into the flour well pour the yeast mixture,stir in some of the flour from the center of the well until a paste is obtained.
Cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for 15 minutes.
5. Add the melted butter the remainder of the sugar and the salt to the dough and mix with a fork or by hand.Stir in a circular motion in the same direction
all the time dragging the flour from the sides of the crater.
6. Knead the dough until smooth then place in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours.
7. Remove the dough from the fridge and allow to rise at room temperature about an hour.
8. Roll out the dough to about 2-3mm thick brush with vegetable oil, sprinkle with brown sugar and sultanas (or any dried fruit of your choice)
roll into a roll and stretch slightly, cut into 3cm thick slices and place cut side down in a greased 20cm tart tin.
put in a warm place for 45-50 mins to rise.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 190C. When ready to bake Brush with beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon of milk.
Bake for about 30mins at 190

Dan Lepard's ginger beer scones recipe.

If you like ginger, you'll love these little beauties. They're just the thing for a cold winter's day

Dan Lepard's ginger beer scone: A ginger lover's delight, as there's not just ginger beer in it. There's glacé and ground ginger, too Photograph: Colin Campbell
I first tried these scones, made with plain lemonade, at ­Marilyn and Gary Barker's Patchwork Teahouse, set deep in Melbourne's Dandenong Ranges, and thought they were the softest and lightest I'd ever eaten. They don't have the crisp top ­regular ones do, but they stay moist for days and that's something. Use non-alcoholic ginger beer, and one ­without artificial sweeteners.
425g plain flour
50g icing sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
2½ tsp baking powder
200g crème fraîche
1 large egg
100g chopped glacé or stem ginger
150ml ginger beer
Milk, for brushing the top
Spoon the flour, icing sugar, ground ginger and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and stir well. In another bowl, beat the crème fraîche, egg and glacé ­or stem ­ginger, then add the ginger beer and stir to ­amalgamate. Pour into the ­mixing bowl and ­gently mix ­until you have a very soft and sticky dough.
Flour your work surface very well, then scrape the dough on to it. Don't try to knead it – it's way too sticky for that; just flour the top and pat it out to 2-3cm thick. Cut the flattened dough into discs or squares and place on a flour-dusted tray.
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan-assisted)/425F/gas mark 7, brush scone tops with milk and bake for 10-15 minutes, until brown on top.

My weekly cook.

How to make perfect rice pudding

CASSOEULA, PORK STEW WITH CABBAGE

Egg White Cake Recipe

Egg White Cake Recipe

Egg White Cake Recipe

Skinny beef lasagne. 354 calories per portion.

BBC - Food - Recipes : Skinny beef lasagne:

'via Blog this'

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas."

Happy New Year to all!

"It is very important that you only do what you love to do.
You may be poor, you may go hungry, you may lose your car, you may have to move into a shabby place to live, but you will totally live.
And at the end of your days you will bless your life because you have done what you came here to do."
― Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Our Christmas dinner.

Recipe of:
- Slow-roasted Pork Shoulder
- Ina's Rosemary Roasted Potatoes.
- Winter pudding bombe
HERE!

Christmas Time.

it's time to cut the grass

Our allotment, harvest 2012.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Dragonfly.

Сity ​​news.

This is one of the walkways of the city under reconstruction on EU money (the marble slabs for paving were imported all the way from Italy!).

Reconstruction has dragged on for the third summer for us, outside the windows of the apartment that is our home.
It would seem so simple:
- money no object,
- with high unemployment in the country - unlimited choice of labour!
What more could you want! But NO!
Yesterday local news explained that the company that started the contract did not meet expectations, and just the other day was replaced by another contractor according to a tender. When will the work be completed? - Asked the reporter. The answer: "After 6 months".
And today in our city it began to rain. My husband went to the balcony and looked at the vacant site and said: "After 6 months...plus one day!"
The British sense of humour bordering on sarcasm. ... sarcasm, timing, and wit - a dry sense of humour!

Tarte Aux Pommes.

Made by me, Brian, in Visaginas, Lithuania.

Tarte Aux Pommes - French Apple Tart with Pastry Cream Recipe:

- Pâté Sucrée Recipe - French Sweet Pastry Crust Recipe;

- Creme Patissiere (Pastry Cream) Recipe.

Lithuanian reflection.

Carrot Cake.

By me!

Holiday! Lithuania.

Todays Roasted Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup.

Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
60ml/2fl oz olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1.5 litres/2 pints 13fl oz vegetable stock.
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste

Easy Cranberry & Apple Cake

(Serves 6 - 8)

How to clean decking?

technique -1
Buy one of those large boxes of baking soda, and a large bottle of vinegar (how much depends on how big your deck is).
Wet your deck down with the hose
and then sprinkle the baking soda all over.
You can just sprinkle the vinegar around out the bottle or you can get a spray bottle and spray it around,
it should "foam" up when it hits the baking soda.
Let that sit for a few min.
Then take a broom ( I recommend a push broom) and scrub it into the wood.
Rinse off with the hose and let dry!

The Baking Soda serves as a soft abrasive and cleaner, and the vinegar serves as the "acid" to "eat up" the dirt.
---------
technique -2

Kouign Amann Recipe | David Lebovitz

Kouign Amann Recipe | David Lebovitz:

'via Blog this'

Homemade Pretzel Bites.

Recipe for Mall Food Court Buttery Homemade Pretzel Bites | Dine and Dish:
"Homemade Pretzel Bites for the Bread Machine (from All Recipes.com)

DIY Vanilla Extract.

"Let me introduce you to one of my very best friends in the pantry, homemade vanilla extract. I made my first batch of it back in October of last year – to give as Christmas gifts, and I haven’t looked back! I can’t tell you how much money I’ve saved over the past few months, a small fortune I’m sure.

As with most DIY projects, I really take pride every time I take it out of the cabinet to bake with. It’s so easy too – you just need some cheap vodka, vanilla beans, and time. You need to let the beans “steep” for about 2 months before you start using the extract, but the longer it sits – the better it gets! I keep 2 jars in rotation to ensure that I never run out.

DIY Vanilla Extract
4 vanilla beans
1 cup vodka
pint sized Mason jar

Using a pairing knife, slice each vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Place them in the jar and cover them with the vodka.

Store the jar in a cool, dark place for at least 2 months. Give it a shake every week or so to encourage extraction.

You can get about 3 refills of vodka using the same beans."

Tide and Thyme » DIY: "DIY Vanilla Extract"



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Recipe for Ann. Strawberry tart. My variant.

Ingredients

Pate Sucree ( French Pastry )

125g of butter
60g of icing sugar
2 egg yolks or 1 egg
250g of plain flour, plus more for dusting
3 sprigs of lemon thyme, leaves picked


200ml of milk
40g of sugar
2 egg yolks
14g of cornflour
1 vanilla pod, cut and deseeded or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Marinated strawberries

18 strawberries, roughly quartered
30ml of rosé wine
1 tsp of caster sugar
1 tbsp of clear honey

22cm Tart tin

1.To begin the strawberry tart, Sift the flour onto a worktop, with your hand make a large ring, Sift icing sugar into the ring and make a well. Place the butter and egg yolks in the well and using a pecking motion combine the butterand egg yolks. Gather in the flour and icing sugar to combine the dough. Knead very lightly until a smooth ball. Chill if necessary.
2. Sprinkle the lemon thyme onto the dough and roll out to 1/2cm thickness, Place in greased tart tin and bake at160C/Gas3 for 13 minutes until lightly golden. Leave to cool.
3.Put the milk and vanilla pod in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, mix the sugar and egg yolks in a seperate bowl until creamy and smooth.Whisk in the cornflour.
4. Once the milk has boiled, pour half into the bowl whisking thoroughly, Retun this mixture to the milk in the pan and continue to whisk over a low heat. Bring to the boil and cook for 3 minutes continue whisking. Allow to cool. When chilled place in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Transfer to the fridge until ready to serve
5. For the marinated strawberries, place the cut strawberries into a bowl. Add the caster sugar, rosé wine and honey. Mix until glazed
6.Before serving, spread a generous 1cm layer of crème patissière across your cooked tart and place your marinated strawberries to cover. Once covered, drizzle the excess marinade across the tart to glaze

Recipe for Ann. Super Moist Carrot Cake.

... with Cream Cheese Frosting. (if You like)

Serves: 8

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Oven Temperature: 180° C - 360° F

Ingredients

180 g self raising flour
180 g caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
3 eggs
220 g grated raw carrot
¼ tsp salt
300 ml sunflower oil
for the frosting:
180 g cream cheese
180 g melted butter
220 g icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla essence

Method

1. Preheat the oven 180°C

2. Sieve together 175g self-raising flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

3. Put 300ml oil in a large bowl and beat with 350g the sugar. Beat in 3 eggs one at a time, then fold in the dry ingredients and stir in 225g grated carrot.

4. Place the mixture in the tin, level off the top, and bake for 45 mins. Then turn the oven down to 170C/325F/gas 3 for a further 20 mins. When it's done, take the cake out of the oven and cool in the tin for 5 mins. Then remove from the tin to cool on a wire rack.

5. While the cake is cooling, beat together the 175g cream cheese and 175g butter and add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence. Gradually add 225g sieved icing sugar until the mixture is stiff but spreadable.

6. When the cake is cool, split it in half horizontally and use the icing to sandwich it back together and cover the top.
PS
Cake becomes more mature next day and day after...