LEMON CURD

 

Homemade lemon curd is quick and easy . Traditionally, it was used as a spread for scones, but today it is used as filling for tarts, pies and cakes.
Of course, lemon is not the only flavour of curd. You can try with limes, grapefruits and oranges.
Some fruit are sweeter than others, adjust your sugar up or down accordingly.

LEMON CURD RECIPE

Preparation : 20 mins
Cook : 5 to 10 mins


INGREDIENTS :

• 2 unwaxed lemons, zest and juice
• 120g sugar
• 75 g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon of Maïzena

METHOD :

•  Whisk whole eggs and sugar until smooth .

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   Add the juice, zest and Maïzena to egg mixture and whisk.
  
  
   
   
• Put the mixture into a saucepan and add the butter into cubes.
   
• Then, place the pan over a low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture is creamy and thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.
  
  
   
• When it's cool, transfer to a clean jar. Cover and refrigerate.
  
  
  
  
• You can keep it one week in a fridge. Or you can use it to fill in a tart.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   ENJOY WITH A CUP OF TEA ; )
  
  
  
  
  

APPLE CRUMBLE

A traditional British Apple Crumble is so delicious and so easy to make ! It combines the sourness of cooking apples, the sweetness of sugar and the spiciness of cinnamon.

You can change fruit (pears, raspberries, bananas ...) depending on the season.

APPLE CRUMBLE RECIPE

Preparation time : 30 min

Cook : 30 to 40 min

Serves : 10

Ingredients :

For the crumble :

• 330 g flour
• 100 g brown sugar
• 180 g butter
• 80g nuts chopped roughly

For the filling :

• 
  1,3 kg apples
• 30 g brown sugar
• the juice of ½ a lemon (optional the zest of ½ a lemon)
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 100 g dried currants

Method :

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C
   
   
2. Peel the apples, core them and cut them in cubes
   
   
3. Place the fruit into a large bowl and sprinkle over the sugar, the cinnamon, the lemon juice, the dried currants. Stir well being careful not to break up the fruit.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Put the fruit mixture into a 24cm rectangular dish.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Crumble method : place the flour and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. 
   Cut the butter in little cubes and rub them in the flour mixture « with the tip of fingers ». Keep rubbing until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. 
   Add the chopped nuts and mix gently.
   
   
   
6. Sprinkle the crumble mixture on the top of the fruit mixture.
   
   
   

   

    
7. Bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes until the crumble is browned or golden and the fruit mixture bubbling.
   
   
8. Serve with thick cream or custard or a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

Enjoy with a nice little cup of tea ;)

NEW - YORK'S BROWNIES

Chocolate brownies are a classic American dessert. We frequently debate their finer points : fudgy, or cakey ? Dark or milk chocolate ?

INGREDIENTS : (serves 10 pieces)

• 200 g dark chocolate (50 to 70%)
• 130 g sugar
• 140 g butter
• 1 pack of vanilla sugar
• 50 g sifted plain flour
• 3 eggs
• 100g of chopped walnuts or macadamia nuts
• a pinch of salt

METHOD :

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C
   
   
2. Melt the chocolate chopped finely in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water simmering and NOT boiling) 
    
3. Melt the butter in a microwave oven for 30 seconds
   
   
4. Stir in the melted chocolate into the melted butter and mix very gently.
   
   
5. Add the sugar, the vanilla sugar, the beaten eggs with the salt and stir in gently.
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Add the sifted flour, stir in with a rubber spatula
   
   
7. Add the nuts and mix but not overmix
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. Pour the batter into a square or rectangular tin (approximately 14cm x 18cm) lined with grease-proof paper.
   
   
9. Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes, then turn down to 160°C for 5 minutes, finally turn off the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes ( Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out moist, but not clean ) .
10. Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes, you can put it into the fridge.
    
    
11. Cut it into square or rectangular pieces but not before it is completely cool.

Enjoy with a cup of tea ;-)

GINGERBREAD MEN  RECIPE 

Preparation : 30 to 45 mins

Cook : 8 to 10 mins

Ingredients :

350 g flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1,5 tsp ground ginger

0,5 tsp mixed spices

125g butter at room temperature

175 g brown sugar

1 free-range egg

4 tbsp honey or golden syrup

To decorate :

writing icing

cake decorations

Method :

1 Preheat oven to 180°C .

2 Mix the flour, ginger, cinnamon, mixed spices and bicarbonate of soda.

3 Add the butter and rub in with fingertips until the mix looks like breadcrumbs.

4 Stir in the sugar and mix.

5 Beat the egg and honey together and add to the mixture until combined.

If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour to the mix.

6 Refrigerate for 15 minutes or more if you can.

7 Roll out to a 5 mm thick on a lightly floured surface.

8 Using cookie cutters, cut shapes and place on a tray with greaseproof paper.

9 Bake gingerbread men for 8 - 10 minutes.

10 Leave the gingergread men cool on a tray for about 10 minutes.

11 Decorate them as you want with the writing icing or other decorations.

Mad Gingerbread men

Enjoy with a cup of tea ;-)

CARROT CAKE  RECIPE

Before becoming an American classic, carrot cakes probably came from Central Europe. The first immigrants imported the recipe in America. The recipe evolved and it was in the 1960's that it started to be topped with Philadelphia cream cheese frosting.

Preparation : 40 mn

Cook : 20 to 30 min  (muffin tin Ø 6cm ) or 45 min (cake tin)

INGREDIENTS :

For the cake :

4 eggs

225g sugar

300 ml sunflower oil

4 finely grated carrots ( medium )

finely grated zest of 1 orange (optional)

300 g flour

1 rounded tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spices or ginger 

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

150 g chopped walnuts 

For the frosting :

125 g butter

250 g cream cheese (Philadelphia for example)

½ tsp vanilla extract

50-75g icing sugar (depending on sweetness preference )

METHOD :

1) Preheat the oven to 180°

2 ) Beat the eggs and sugar until they are light anf fluffy.

 

3) Pour in the oil little by little and beat for a few more minutes.

4) Fold in the gratted carrots (mix gently), the zest of an orange and then the flour with cinnamon, mixed spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

5) Finally, fold in the walnuts.

6) Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for about 20mn or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
 

 

7) To make the icing, beat butter with cream cheese and add vanilla extract and icing sugar in a bowl until the mixture is smooth.

ENJOY WITH A CUP OF TEA  ;-)

SCONES  RECIPE

Scones came from Scotland. They were popularised during Queen Victoria's reign They are traditionally served with jam and cream for the Afternoon Tea .

PREPARATION : 20mn

COOK : 12-15mn

INGREDIENTS (+/-8 scones)

• 225g self-raising flour
• A pinch of baking powder
• 50g butter cut into cubes
• 40g sugar
• 120ml milk
• A pinch of salt
• beaten egg yolk to glaze
• Jam and clotted cream or butter to serve
• A sheet of greaseproof paper

METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 220°C (7).
2. Put the flour into a large bowl with the salt and baking powder, then mix.
3. Add the butter, and rub in with your fingertips until the mix looks like fine crumbs.
4. Stir in the sugar.
5. Make a well, and add the milk little by little and mix with a knife.
6. Flour your hands a little and knead a little.
7. Flour the work-top.
8. Roll the dough out to 2/3cm in thickness.
9. Put the sheet of greaseproof paper on the baking tray
   
   
10. Flour a 5cm scone cutter and cut the dough with it.
11. Put the scones on the baking tray.
12. Brush the top of the scones with the beaten egg yolk.
13. Bake at 220°C for about 15mn until risen and golden on the top.

Our scones are cooling on the rack

Eat the scones warm with jam and clotted cream (or butter).

ENJOY THEM WITH A CUP OF TEA :-)