Comments (4)

By Anna, 3 November, 2009 4:36 pm

AKA how to use up the reduced items from the bakery that you bought and stashed in your freezer.

You have Ian to thank for this. He was supposed to go fishing, but the forecast was very, very wrong so when he arrived at the beach he decided against being drowned for the sake of a potential Dover Sole. I’m still undecided on that one because Dover Sole is extremely nice and arguably worth some level of sacrifice, but most importantly gives us the delicious opportunity to say ‘ahhhhhhhhhh … sole’  to each other quite a lot.
So you think that because he came home dejected and damp, I prepared him a bread and butter pudding? No.

He wasn’t alone on his return.
He had 2 boxes of frozen squid with him. Useless things; wouldn’t know one end of a hoover from the other, but they needed a home, well, a freezer for the night.
I rifled through the freezer, (good GRIEF we have a lot of berries, and some pork ribs that I have no memory of purchasing, ever) and found a little niche for them.
Only problem was, that spot had been inhabited by some croissants…oh dear… what to do…

So, I asked them, but they just said ‘meh’ and scowled at me – about as much use as the squid. Inflamed by this, I found 2 hot cross buns that had resided with us since Easter and left them all out to defrost.

Thanks Ian!

It doesn’t get much more Brit dish than this warm, spiced, silken, custard pudding.

Continue reading 'Hot Cross Croissant and Butter Pudding'»

Comments (1)

By Anna, 9 October, 2009 12:06 pm

Tangy, zesty, sweet, voluptuous lemon curd. Friend to families across the ages. Too poetic? Maybe, but it’s so easy to make and doesn’t so much knock the shop-bought stuff out of a cocked hat, so much as push it over and laugh at it. It stores for a good 3 weeks in the fridge, so it makes sense to make it. I bought really good shop stuff for my lemon and sultana buns, but one reminding taste of the home made stuff and I’m reassured that it is no substitute for the real thing. Spread on a slice of brioche, it is unbeatable.

Continue reading 'Lemon Curd'»

Comments (1)

By Anna, 10 September, 2009 12:36 pm

Morning, steeping fruit and sugar! Sleep well? My, haven’t you grown? You’re looking a bit swollen, love.

Best make you into a tea loaf then.

——————-

Continue reading 'Overnight Tea Loaf part 2'»

Comments (0)

By Anna, 9 September, 2009 6:49 pm

Now this IS a traditional British recipe – the cold tea loaf; a good keeper, moist, fruity, delicious and very low fat. What’s not to like?

This is in 2 parts simply because before you fling together the ingredients, you first have to soak your dried fruit in cold tea.

Continue reading 'Overnight Tea Loaf part 1'»

Comments (4)

By Anna, 20 August, 2009 11:15 pm

Ian’s Mum is overloaded with windfall pears, so we helpfully brought a bag of them home with us. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with them so poached them and had a think whilst they rested in the fridge. I also had 4 peaches that were looking at me with attitude.

What to do.

I had loads of recipes for what is in essence a sponge/pound cake hybrid with fruit chucked in, but they all had one thing in common – best served warm. Now anything is better warm; chocolate, bread, your dinner, your body….

… but if a cake is BEST warm, that indicates to me that as far as cakes go, it isn’t going to be a great recipe. Not only that, it also means that tomorrow, that cake is going to be soggy and that’s just unpleasant.

So I thought, well better do a dessert then. Couldn’t be bothered with pastry, had discarded the cakey-pudding concept, so that left me with crumble.

We like crumble. The best part about crumble is the crumble, but pears and peaches are pretty marvellous too.

Continue reading 'Pear and Peach Crumble'»

Comments (3)

By Anna, 13 August, 2009 12:06 am

When life throws you milk, make rice pudding.

Browsing through the supermarket, I happened upon a single bottle of milk.
Rah-rah, you think. But it wasn’t just a bottle of milk… oh no, it was Gold Top; that is the creamiest milk you can get your hands on. A blend of milk from Jersey and Guernsey cows, it is little more than cream dressed up in a milk dress.

Continue reading 'Rice Pudding'»