Orange and apricot spread

 This is a quick, healthy alternative to normal jam or marmalade. It keeps well in the fridge for 8 days. The apricots need to be soft.

Ingredients

3 1/2 oz apricots

2 oranges

1 vanilla bean

2 tbsp honey

Directions

1 chop the apricots

2 squeeze juice from 1 orange and peel and chop the other one

3 blend chopped apricots, orange, juice, seeds from the vanilla bean and honey untill smooth

4 store in an airtight jar in the fridge

Delicious Apple Tart Recipe

INGRADIENTS:

Crust:

1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour

1/3 cup (35 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) (113 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Filling:

One 8-ounce (227 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping:

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar

1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) ground cinnamon

4 cups (500 ml) Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch (.6 cm) slices (about 3-4 large apples)

1/3 cup (35 grams) sliced almonds


PROCEDURE:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.  Grease (or spray with Pam) a 9 inch (22 cm) springform pan.

Crust:
In the bowl of your food processor place the flour and sugar. Pulse to blend together. Add butter and pulse until dough just begins to come together. Pat the dough onto the bottom and one inch (2.5 cm) up the sides of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator while you make the filling.

Filling:
In a food processor process the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and mix well. Blend in the egg and vanilla extract and process until smooth. Remove the crust from the fridge and pour in the filling. Return to refrigerator while you prepare the topping.

Topping:
Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Toss the sliced apples in the sugar mixture. Spoon the apples evenly over the cream cheese layer and sprinkle with almonds. Place the springform pan on a larger baking sheet to catch the drips.

Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown (apples are soft when pierced with a fork), and filling is almost set.   Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and serve at room temperature.  Leftovers can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated.

Makes 1 - 9 inch (22 cm) tart





source:http://www.joyofbaking.com/AppleTart.html

Chocolate and Ginger Banoffee Pie

I saw this recipe in this month's free magazine from my local co-op, it sounds absolutely yummy. I love banoffee pie. Unfortunately as I am trying to avoid too much sugar it will have to be a very rare treat for me but my kids will love it.




serves 8
preparation time:
15 minutes, plus chilling time

ingredients

200g digestive biscuits, crushed
110g Country Life butter, melted
405g can light condensed milk
150g Truly Irresistible ginger conserve
3 Fairtrade bananas, sliced
300ml The Co-operative double cream
40g The Co-operative Fairtrade dark chocolate, melted

method

Combine the biscuits and melted butter and press into the base and up the sides of a 23cm loose-bottomed tin - we used a fluted one. Chill until required. Place the condensed milk and ginger conserve in a small pan and bring gently to the boil, stirring continuously, until the colour has become light caramel and the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat and spread over the biscuit base. Chill for an hour or until cold. To serve, carefully remove the tin and base and transfer to a serving plate. Arrange the bananas on top of the caramel. Whip the cream until thick and spoon over the bananas. Drizzle over the chocolate and chill until required. 

nutritional values (approx. per serving)

calories  550,  fat  39.5g,  sat fat  23.2g,  sugars  28.1g,  salt  0.7g

Slow Cooker Apple Bread Pudding

This cozy dessert is a snap to prepare — less than 10 minutes of prep time, and your slow cooker takes care of the rest!

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

• 8 slices raisin bread, cut into cubes (about 5 cups)
• 2 medium tart apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled and sliced
• 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 1 cup sugar
• 11/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp.) unsalted butter or margarine, melted
• 1/4 cup apple juice

Directions

1 Grease slow cooker lightly. In large bowl, combine bread cubes, apples and pecans. Mix well to blend and spoon into slow cooker.

2 In the same bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, and blend well. Add eggs, half-and-half, butter and apple juice, mixing until thoroughly blended. Spoon over bread mixture.

3 Cook, covered, on low setting, for 3 to 4 hours, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and dry. Spoon into bowls and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Slow Cooker Apple and orange Bread Pudding

This cosy dessert is a snap to prepare — less than 10 minutes of prep time, and your slow cooker takes care of the rest!

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

• 8 slices white bread

• 2 medium tart apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled and sliced

• 1 cup sugar

• 11/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 4 large eggs, beaten

• 2 orange juice

• 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp.) unsalted butter or margarine, melted

Directions

1 Grease slow cooker lightly. Butter bread and cut off crusts. Layer half in slow cooker. Sprinkle with a little of the sugar.

2 Layer apples on top and sprinkle with more sugar.

3 Cover with half remaining bread and butter, sprinkle with remaining sugar.

4 Place remaining bread and butter on top.

5 Mix eggs, cinnamon and orange juice and pour over bread and butter. Stand for half an hour so the bread soaks up the eggy mix.

6 Cook, covered, on low setting, for 3 to 4 hours, or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean and dry. Spoon into bowls and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Beltane celebration cake

Accounts of the Beltane festivities mention a Beltane Cake. This spicy cake was prepared on the last day of April in readiness for the evening’s festivities.  The cake was broken up and distributed to the crowds.  

Here is my version adapted from a recipe I found online. 

Ingredients: 

12fl oz milk

3½oz oats

4oz butter

½ teaspoon salt

8oz sugar

2 eggs

2 eating apples, cored, peeled and sliced

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

7oz S.R. flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Method:
 In a saucepan, heat the milk with the oats, butter and salt. 
Cook until thickened then leave to stand until it reaches room temperature. 
Mix in the sugar, eggs and vanilla.
 Add the flour,  and spices and mix well.
 Grease a 9 inch x 13 inch baking tray and pour in ½ the mixture.
 Place a layer of apple slices.
 Pour over rest of cake mixture.
 Bake in the centre of the oven pre-heated to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4 for 30 mins.
 After cooling to room temperature the cake should be covered tightly until ready to serve.
 When ready to serve the top of the cake can be dusted with icing sugar then cut into squares.

 

I know that traditionally apples are used to celebrate Samhain, but as I am currently planting a small orchard of fruit trees using apples in my cake seemed appropriate. I am hoping for a good fruit harvest.

banoffee pie

Banoffee pie

This popular dessert is made with the perfect pair - banana and toffee and couldn't be simpler to put together. Use condensed milk in the banoffee pie for a quick caramel

• Prep time: 10 mins

• Cooking time: 30 mins

(plus 2 hrs chilling time)

• Total time: 40 mins

• Serves: 8

• Skill level: Easy peasy

• Costs: Cheap as chips

• Child friendly

• Make in advance

Ingredients

For a simple way to make the caramel, put an unopened can of condensed milk into boiling water and poach for 2 hrs. After cooling, the condensed milk will have caramelised and can then be poured over the biscuit base, so no need for the butter and caster sugar.

For the banoffee pie base:

• 100g (4oz) butter

• 250g (9oz) digestive biscuits, crushed

For the caramel:

• 175g (6oz) butter

• 75g (3oz) caster sugar

• 397g can Carnation Condensed Milk

For the topping:

• 4 small bananas

• 284ml carton double cream, lightly whipped

• Cocoa powder, for dusting

You will also need:

• 20cm (8in) loose-bottomed cake tin, greased with the based lined

• Piping bag


Method

1. Use a food blender to crush the biscuits into fine crumbs.

2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and stir in the crushed biscuits until the two bind together. Press the mixture into the base and sides of a 20cm (8in) loose-bottomed cake tin. Chill for 30 mins.

3. For the caramel, melt the butter and sugar over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is golden in colour. Add the condensed milk, stirring continuously and bringing to the boil. Keep the caramel boiling steadily for 2 mins, whilst stirring to make a thick golden caramel. Take the caramel off of the heat and cool.

4. Slice the bananas and arrange most of them over the biscuit base then spread the caramel over the top. Chill for 1 hr 30 mins, or until firm.

5. When ready to serve, remove the pie from the tin and place on a serving plate. Fill a piping bag with the whipped cream and squeeze onto the banoffee pie, decorating as desired with the remaining bananas and a light dusting of cocoa powder.