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By Anna, 15 October, 2009 5:56 pm

Warmed by a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg, this date paste and toasted pecan filling is addictive! I’m thinking they will be nice alternatives to mince pies at Christmas.

I was toying with ideas of how to use dates more in cooking, because they seem to be so reasonably priced at the moment, and thought I’d start by stewing them down and taking it from there. The spices, as I said, warmed it up (and let’s face it, dates and spices are an obvious match), but it was Ian’s idea to add some nuts to give it more texture.  It’s worked beautifully!

I could extol its healthy virtues, because there is no sugar in this filling recipe, but the dates are teeming with their own natural sugars and the shortbread pastry is far from healthy… a half healthy treat? Yum.

Continue reading 'Date and Pecan Pies'»

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By Anna, 7 October, 2009 9:02 pm

I had most of a pot of sour cream left over, so I had to make something with it, right? Luckily, I still have a little left over, so I can sense some fajitas in the not-so-distant future.

I wanted a really cinnamon flavoured cake, but I didn’t want to put any nuts in it, so this was the answer. Moist, tender crumbed, cinnamon-y enough to satisfy – more than a nice way to use up sour cream.

Continue reading 'Cinnamon Sour Cream Cake'»

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By Anna, 1 October, 2009 2:56 pm

So I was chatting to Auntie Rene on the phone the other night; we were talking about this blog and she started revealing some culinary secrets and more to the point, sharing some of her recipes! I have a few lined up, but started with this one given to Rene years ago by a friend of hers.

It sounded good from the off, it was easy to make and it tastes absolutely delicious. There is one diced apple in the recipe and it adds such a different dimension to the flavour. There is no apple taste per se, just a rounded layer of flavour. It’s genius. Ian said it reminded him of a kashmir curry and he’s right. He experimented with the leftovers by putting a very mean drizzle of double cream in and stirring that round – it changed the dish again. So bear that in mind as an option if you like creamy curries; that taster was a bit rich for me, so keep it mean.

Continue reading 'Fruity Curry'»

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By Anna, 26 September, 2009 6:32 pm

There is an unmistakeable cinnamon and brown sugar warmth to this sweet, juicy apple pie made with flaky, easy to make, pastry.
Ian said that when warm, it reminded him of the apple pie that one gets from the Golden Arches. He then went on to say that he meant that in a good way.

I struck him across the face with my silk-lined muff, but I know what he meant – it’s that warm spicy sweetness and the slight firmness to the apple – just without the freaky fat-laden fried pastry. Cheeky swine.
It’s a good one, this recipe. You need a 9″ deep pie plate for this pie.
A quick word about the pastry. I have a little bit of a pastry avoidance issue, but the ease of this recipe has almost cured me. Freezing the fat and using ice cold water keeps everything cold. Cold is good for pastry. Using the processor keeps warm fingertips out of the way and works quickly to avoid over handling the dough. Honestly, it’s OK – have a go and channel your inner Grandparent who would faint if they knew you used bought pastry.

Continue reading 'Apple Pie'»