[siobhanwf]

Baked beans

A suggestion by BALDILOCKS...thank you (apparently a tried and true recipe xx)

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/slow_cooked_boston_baked_beans/

Slow Cooked Boston Baked Beans Recipe
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Cook time: 8 hoursYield: Serves 5-6 as a main dish or 10-12 as a side
Why pre-soak the beans? You don't have to (see this great Russ Parsons article in the LA Times about why you don't need to soak beans), but not doing so in this recipe will increase the cooking time. With the beans pre-soaked, they'll still take 8 hours to cook and soften in a slow-cooker. Once beans come in with the molasses, the sugar in the molasses will keep the beans firm. That's why they take so long to cook.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound (2 to 2 1/4 cups) dry white beans such as Navy beans or Great Northern beans (can also use kidney beans)
1/3 cup molasses (subsitute BLACK TREACLE)
1/3 cup brown sugar
3-4 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3 cups hot water
1/2 pound salt pork (can sub bacon), cut into 1/2-inch to 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, (1 1/2 cups) chopped

METHODHIDE PHOTOS
1 Soak beans in water: Place beans in a large pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Soak overnight and drain. Alternatively, bring a pot with the beans covered with 2 inches of water to a boil, remove from heat and let soak for a hour, then drain.

2 Mix molasses, brown sugar, mustard, ground cloves with water: Whisk together the molasses, brown sugar, mustard, and ground cloves with 3 cups of hot water.

3 Add ingredients to slow-cooker, layering them, starting with the salt pork: Line the bottom of a slow-cooker (or a Dutch oven if you are cooking in the oven) with half of the salt pork (pick the fattiest pieces). Layer over with half of the drained beans. Add all of the chopped onion in a layer.

Top with another layer of beans and the remaining salt pork. Pour the molasses water mixture over the beans to just cover the beans.

4 Slow cook until beans are tender: Cover and cook in a slow-cooker on the low setting for 8 hours (or in a 250°F oven), until the beans are tender. Check the water level a few hours in, and if the beans need more water, add some. Add additional salt to taste if needed.

 

[siobhanwf]

Pumpkin season

I have found it impossible to source PUMPKIN PIE SPICE so asked my daughter in US for help.....

To get two teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice,
COMBINE
1-teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger,
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg.

 

[siobhanwf]

Pumpkin Spice Cake:

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups (270 grams) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup fresh or canned pure pumpkin (about 1/2 of a 15 ounce can)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups (200 grams) sifted plain flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk, room temperature

Note: To make your own buttermilk combine 1/2 cup (120 ml) of milk with 1/2 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice (OR 1/2 CUP PLAIN YOGHURT) . Stir and let stand for 10 minutes before using.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 ounces (228 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup (56 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 cups (230 grams) icing sugar, sifted

For Garnish:

1/2 cup (50 grams) toasted and chopped walnuts or pecans

Pumpkin Spice Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter and flour two - 8 inch (20 cm) cake pans.

Cake: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla and beat until incorporated.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to the pumpkin batter, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Divide the batter in half and then pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then invert and remove the cakes from their pans. Cool before icing.
Icing: Place the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of your food processor (or use a hand mixer) and pulse until smooth. Add the maple syrup and confectioners' sugar and process to combine. Adjust syrup or sugar until you have the right consistency.

 

[siobhanwf]

The PUMPKIN CAKE needs buttermilk which i make myself.....

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice or distilled white vinegar
1 cup (225 ml) milk


Pour the lemon juice or vinegar into a measuring cup. Then, pour in the milk until it reaches the 1 cup line.
Stir the mixture well, then set aside for 5-10 minutes before using in your recipe.

You can use any kind of milk that you prefer for this recipe. Skim, 2%, whole, or even almond milk adds a different dimension !

 

[Deblett]

We have lots of oranges on the trees at the moment - great for making into juice (if they're not eating oranges) or for making cakes:

200g Mascavado Escuro (brown sugar)

200g flour (any that's in the cupboard although the dark flour for bread makes it heavier)

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

grated carrott to taste (I use 1 1/2 carrots)

grated orange peel (2-3 small or 1 large orange)

3 eggs pre-beaten

Sift the flour for weavel possibilities

Add it all into a mixing bowl and roughly mix it up

Pop it into a suitable sized cake baking vessel (take into the mixture SHOULD rise by half again) and pop it into the oven

I can't tell you what gas or electric mark as I use a range which tells me it's around 100 degrees and this takes up to an hour to fully cook, so a hotter oven should ensure a quicker bake.

I can eat this too having a slight allergy to wheat.

Enjoy!

Hi Maiden tales,
I saw your recipe for carrot and orange cake post and noticed you said to sift flour incase of weavels! I keep my flour in sealed airtight containers and still get weavels, do you think they are already in the flour when bought from the stores? I have only ever had this problem in Portugal, never in the UK or USA. And do you think it's still OK to use if it has weavels?
Thanks Debbie

 

[siobhanwf]

Bringing this port to the top in case anyone is stuck for a christmas pudding.

haven’t got around to making one yet, this one is quick and easy — a cross between a traditional pudding and a cake.

What you need

100g (4oz) raisins

100g (4oz) sultanas

200g (7oz) currants

100ml (4fl oz) stout

4 tablespoons brandy

100g (4oz) diced candied peel

50g (2oz) finely chopped blanched almonds

50g (2oz) un-dyed glace cherries, chopped

½ tsp each, ground cinnamon and nutmeg

125g (4½ oz) unsalted butter

125g (4½ oz) dark muscovado sugar

2 medium eggs

1 tbsp treacle

180g (6½ oz) self-raising flour, sifted

50ml (2fl oz) milk

to serve

creme fraiche or cream

or if you are feeling naughty brandy butter or add a little rum to the cream hic!!

Method

1 place the dried fruits in a small pan with the stout and brandy and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until all the liquor has been absorbed. Transfer the fruit to a large mixing bowl and leave to cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in the peel, almonds, cherries and spices.

2 cream the butter and sugar together for several minutes in a food processor, then incorporate the eggs, one by one, then the treacle, the flour and the milk. Blend this cake mixture with the dried fruit mixture.

3 butter a 1.2 litre pudding basin, line the bottom with baking paper and butter. Spoon the mixture into the pudding basin and smooth the surface. Cut out two circles of baking paper to cover the surface of the pudding, with several inches to spare on either side. Lay them on top of each other, pleated in the centre, butter the surface that will come into with the pudding and place over the top. Tightly tie the paper in place with string, just below the rim.

4 place in a large pan with boiling water that comes two-thirds of the way up the sides, cover and simmer over a low heat for 2½ hours. Check the water level now and again and top it up if necessary. When ready to serve, run a knife around the rim of the pudding and invert onto a warm plate. Serve with creme fraiche or cream.

Once cooked skewer the pudding top in several places and pour a tablespoon of brandy over it each day