RSS Feed

Posts Tagged ‘sweet’

  1. Salted Clotted Cream Fudge

    December 27, 2017 by Lisa

    I haven’t posted in a very, very long time. I guess I’ve not really tried anything new! But that changed over Christmas as I had some time to make homemade things for hampers and found out how easy it is to make both clotted cream and fudge. Yes, you can make your own clotted cream and it’s really easy.

    This fudge recipe is based on a combination of quite a few recipes online and although I made only the one small batch, I’m pretty sure I have the foundations right. You can pretty much use any amount of clotted cream and sugar if you have a suitable sized pan. But let’s start with the clotted cream as you’ll need to start a day ahead. You’ll also want a jam thermometer as trying to determine the “soft ball” stage is more work than I was willing to put in. Mine was a good investment – essential for chili jam!

    IMG_2527Clotted Cream

    Pour enough double or whipping cream (heavy cream in the states) into a flat bottomed pan to give about 1-2 inches of cream.

    Place into a 80 C (180F) oven and leave it for 12 hours. After 12 hours it should have a golden yellow top. Take it out and cool to room temperature, then cover and place in the fridge for another 8-10 hours.  After that you should be able to gently scoop out the cream into a covered jar and keep it for up to 5 days. Easy! Oh, and so much cheaper than store-bought.

    Clotted Cream Fudge

    The amount you make will depend mostly on the quantity of cream you’ve made. This recipe assumes you have at least 225g of cream from your clotted cream making adventures. The syrup is really important, as it is, apparently what prevents sugar crystals from forming and gives this fudge the smoothest texture you can imagine. In general, however, just use the same amount of sugar as cream and make a guess as to the other ingredients. A little more or less vanilla or syrup isn’t going to make a huge difference.

    Start by lining a pan with grease-proof paper. You could butter it a bit as well, but make sure it covers the bottom and sides of the pan. I used a loaf pan for this amount of fudge.

    Ingredients:

    • 225g clotted cream
    • 225g caster (fine) sugar
    • 100ml golden syrup (or corn syrup)
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla paste or essence
    • pinch of flaked Maldon salt plus additional for the top

     

    Method:

    Place all the ingredients in a heavy bottomed pan and place over a low heat until the ingredients melt together. Try not to stir, but a little stirring didn’t hurt. This could take a rather long time – maybe half an hour or more. Have a cup of coffee.

    Once melted, put the thermometer in the pan and raise the heat to boiling, stirring constantly until the thermometer reaches “soft ball” or 118C (235F) and remove from the heat. Beat until the mixture thickens – about 10 minutes. It’s supposed to turn from glossy to matt textured, but mine really didn’t seem all that matt! Pour into the lined pan and press flat. Sprinkle with the Maldon salt flakes.

    Refrigerate until set, then remove and cut into whatever shape takes your fancy.

    Category Desserts and Sweets | Tags: ,,, | No Comments

  2. Chili Jeli

    January 24, 2012 by Lisa


    This is a delicious and spicy (obviously) jam that makes a great gift. Amazing with a bit of brie or camembert on toast or a biscuit or in a sandwich with cold meats. Use hotter chilis or increase the proportion of hot chilis to make a spicier jam.

    The chilis are so low in pectin, that a little help in the form of liquid pectin helps it set. It you are a jam expert and think you don’t need the pectin, leave it out, although I found that I had to re-boil the jam to get it to set before I started adding it as a matter of course.

    Ingredients:

    • 150 g long fresh red romano peppers, deseeded and cut into pieces.
    • 150 g hot chili peppers, deseeded and cut into pieces
    • 1 kg jam sugar
    • 600 ml apple cider vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon pectin
    • 10 x 130ml sealable jars

     

    Sterilize the jars and leave to cool. I put them in a pan of water, filling each jar 3/4 with water and placing the lids on top, then bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes.

    Place the cut-up chilies in a blender and pulse until they’re finely chopped.

    Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar in a large pan over a low heat. Use a pan larger than you think you’ll need as it easily boil over and you need it to boil vigourously if you have any hopes of the jam setting.

    Scrape the chili-pepper mixture out of the blender and add it to the pan of dissolved sugar. Bring the pan to the boil, then leave it to boil. A jam thermometer is highly recommended as it needs to reach 105C (221F) and then boil additionally for 10 minutes. You can check to see if it’s set using the frozen saucer method: place 4 or 5 saucers in the freezer at the beginning of your jam making session; check for a set by dropping a bit of jam onto the frozen saucer and push it around with your finger. If it gels, it’s probably going to set properly.

    Take the pan off the heat and allow it cool for 45 minutes or so. Skim off any foam, pour into your jars and seal tightly. It may take several hours or overnight for the jam to set.

    Category Desserts and Sweets, Starters and Light Bites | Tags: ,,,,, | No Comments

  3. American Pancakes

    January 16, 2012 by Lisa

    Being American, I’ve been making pancakes in the American style since I was allowed near a stove, but using English flour and baking powder to make them here in the UK has always been a slight disappointment. Here’s a very good version that makes enough for 3 people, or two fairly hungry people. About 12 pancakes.

    Ingredients

    • 140g self-raising flour
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp salt
    • 2 tbsp caster sugar
    • 150ml milk
    • 1 egg
    • 2 tbsp melted butter or vegetable oil

    Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar in a large bowl. Mix the milk, egg and melted butter or oil in a seperate bowl.

    Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and beat until you have a smoothish batter.

    Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a knob of butter or oil. Pour in a ladle full of batter. When the top of the pancake begins to bubble, flip it over and cook until both sides are golden brown.

    Category All Day Breakfast | Tags: ,,,, | No Comments

  4. Sticky Chicken Wings

    July 9, 2005 by Lisa

    You know those times when you make a sauce and kind of change it everytime? Trying new combinations, quantities, whatever? Sometimes it works better than other times. This was a nice simple version of sticky sweet and spicy chicken wings that I now use exclusively.

    Sauce:

    • 1/4 cup ketchup
    • 3-4 tablespoons clear honey
    • 1/4 cup brown sugar
    • 1 tablespoon Worchester sauce
    • Tabasco – some amount

    Cook over a low heat for 5 – 10 minutes.

    Oven cook the wings at 225C in a bit of olive oil until browned, turning once. Drain the oil and dump the wings into a bowl and cover with the sauce, stirring to coat them completely. Cook in the oven another 20 to 30 minutes.

    Category Dinner Menu, Lunch Menu, Starters and Light Bites | Tags: ,,,, | No Comments

  5. New York Cheesecake

    February 26, 2005 by Lisa

    Light and fluffy and very, very rich, this is my very favourite cheesecake.

    All ingredients should be room temperature before starting.

    Ingredients:

    • Small Packet Digestive biscuits, crushed (250g)
    • 60ml (4 tbsp) melted butter
    • 3 x 300g packages cream cheese
    • 375g (1 1/2 cups) sugar
    • 145ml (1/2 cup) double cream
    • 4 eggs
    • 280ml (1 cup) sour cream
    • 15ml (1 tbsp) vanilla
    • 30g (1/4 cup) flour
    • 30g (1/4 cup) icing sugar (or less, to taste)

    Preheat oven to 175C and grease a 20cm springform pan. Mix the crushed biscuits with the melted butter and press into the bottom of the pan and slightly up the sides. Put in the refrigerator while the other ingredients are being mixed.

    Separate the egg yolks from the whites and beat the whites until stiff. Mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, then stir in the cream. Add the eggs, half of the sour cream, vanilla and flour and mix until smooth. Fold in the egg whites, mixing in completely, but not beating too much.

    Pour into the crust and bake in the middle of the oven for one hour. Don’t open the door before the hour is up. After an hour it should still wobble slightly in the middle but it will set as it cools. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake inside for an hour. Run a knife between the cake and the pan and leave on a wire rack to cool completely.

    Mix the remaining sour cream with icing sugar and spread over the top of the cheesecake. Refridgerate for 4 to 6 hours or overnight.

    Category Desserts and Sweets | Tags: ,,,, | No Comments