Lemon Curd

Lemon curd is not hard to make from scratch! The reward is a spread that is smooth, creamy, sweet and deliciously tart yet sweet citrus flavour.

My lemon curd recipe is quite classic in how it is made, heating eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar and butter until they have thickened and are silky smooth. However, there is a little trick that makes all the difference and that is how you add the butter.

In most recipes, all the ingredients are mixed together and then heated until they thickened. In my recipe, the butter is added last, when all the other ingredients have been combined and heated. Melting the butter in the warm lemon curd gives a silky smooth finish that tastes just amazing.

You might wonder if lemon curd can be made without zest. The answer is yes, but the curd will taste so much better if you use both the juice and zest. When the lemon curd cooled, it will lost some of the lemon flavour. Besides lacking of flavour, it also lacking in colour. It's still yellow but is much less vibrant than curd which includes the zest. 

Ingredients:

• 4 egg yolks
• 135g sugar
• 60g unsalted butter
• 2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 100ml lemon juice

Method:

Whisk egg yolks and sugar until well combined but not frothy.

Tip into a heavy-based pan. Add zest and juice..

Stir constantly, bring to simmering point over a medium-high heat for about 4-5 minutes.

As soon as bubbles appear, remove from heat. Add in the butter and continue stirring until the butter melted and blended into the curd. Allow to cool.

Transfer to sterilised jar and seal

Raspberry Jam

Homemade jam has to be one of my all time favourite things to make. I love the way my house smells when I make it. I love the beautiful bright colour of the jam. And most of all I love stacking jars and jars of it.

Yes I know it is in the middle of winter and fresh berries are hard to come by. However, I have a bumper crop of homegrown raspberries harvested from my garden this season. I freeze most of it waiting for the right time to make my jam as due to my full time job.

Raspberries have such a short shelf life, and they are rather delicate, so jam is a good use for them. Before making the jam, let the berries thawed. If you don't have homegrown berries, fresh or frozen from supermarket  work just as well. 

Ingredients:

• 800g raspberries, if frozen, let it thaw
• 700g sugar
• 5 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

Before we start making the jam, firstly we need to prepare the jars. Place some clean jam  jars on a baking tray and then into the oven preheated to 100ºC for 20 minutes to sterilized them. Place the lid is a large bowl & pour in boiling water. Let the lid sits for 10 minutes and wipes dry with a clean tea towel.  Put two to three small saucers in the freezer to chill.

Put the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice into a preserving pan or similar. Place the pan over a gentle heat, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar has dissolved. You can tell by running a wooden spoon over the bottom of the pan.

Bring the pan to a rolling boil for 10 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and place a few drops of jam onto the chilled saucer. Place the saucer in fridge for about a minute. Test the set by running your finger through the jam, if it forms a crinkle and is gel like, then the jam is ready to bottle.

If the jam is not ready, continue boiling for another 2-3 minutes and re-test until ready. 

Use a jam funnel, ladle to the sterilized jam jars and seal with lids immediately.

Store in a cool dark place and refrigerate once opened. 

Easy Homemade Pizza Base

This easy pizza dough is a great recipe for beginners  and produces a soft homemade pizza crust. Skip the pizza delivery because it's only 4 easy steps from start to finish.

This is my go-to pizza dough recipe and has been using the recipe for the millionth time, I decided that it's time to add in my blog!

Pizza dough is the foundation and every great pizza begins with a great pizza crust. Some like thin and crisp pizza crust, while others prefer thick and soft pizza crust. This homemade pizza crust has it all; soft and chewy with delicious crisp and AWESOME flavour. Let get cooking with my simple step-by-step guide. Bellissimo!

Ingredients:

For the base:

• 300g strong bread flour
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 200ml warm water

For the tomato sauce:

• 100ml passata
• handful of fresh basil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• ½ tsp Italian mix herbs

For the topping: 

• any topping of your choice

Method:

To make the base-Put the flour into a large bowl. Stir in the yeast and salt. Make a well, pour in 200ml warm water and olive oil and bring together with a spatula until you have a soft, fairly wet dough. Turn onto a lightly floured worktop and knead for 5 minutes until smooth. Cover with tea tower and set aside. You can leave the dough to rise if you like, but it is not essential for a thin crust.

Make the sauce-Mix the passata, basil, crush garlic and the Italian herbs together, then season to taste. Leave to stand at room temperature while you get on with shaping the pizza base.

Roll out the dough, then split it into two balls. Give each balls a quick knead if you let the dough rise. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a large rounds, about 25cm across using a rolling pin. The dough needs to be very thin as it will rise in the oven. Lift the rounds onto two pizza pan.

Top and bake-Heat the oven to 240ºC/220ºC for fan assist oven. Smooth sauce over bases with the back of a spoon. Scatter with your favourite topping. Drizzle with some olive oil and season. Put the pizza in the oven and bake for 8-10  minutes until crisp. Serve with a little more olive oil and basil leaves if using.

Notes:

1. If the dough is too wet, add a bit more flour and work it in.
2. If the dough is too stretchy to roll out, leave it to rest for 10 minutes or so, then try again
3. If the base isn't cook, it could be too thick or have too much topping. If the topping is cooked before the base cover with foil and give it another 5 minutes
4. If you are making a vegan pizza then the topping is your vegan choice

Overnight Sourdough Bread

What is sourdough bread?

Sourdough bread is made by fermentation of dough using naturally occurring lactobacilli and yeast. Sourdough bread has a mildly sour taste not present in  most bread made with baker's yeast and keeps better than other bread due to the lactic acid produced by lactobacilli. 

What is different about sourdough bread?

The difference is in how they are made. Regular bread is made using store-bought yeast that reacts with gluten making the dough rise. Sourdough bread is made with a "starter". This starter is made from a combination of yeast and bacteria is growing inside a paste made of flour and water.

What is a sourdough starter?

A sourdough starter is a paste made from wholemeal flour and water that captures and develops wild yeasts to create the basis for leavening for sourdough bread making.

To find out more on how to start a starter visit:

https://www.dovesfarm.co.uk/recipes/sourdough-starter

An easy sourdough bread recipe that rises overnight and bakes in the morning. If you are new to sourdough, this is the perfect place to start. Because the dough rises while you are asleep, you won't be tempted to rush the process or check on it every five seconds to see if it is ready. Make adjustment on the timing to suit your schedule.

Ingredients:

• 150g bubbly starter
• 300g filtered water at room temperature
• 350g bread flour
• 150g wholemeal bread flour
• 10g fine salt

Method:

Place the active sourdough starter in a large mixing bowl. Add the filtered water and stir or mix with your hands until combined. Add in both the flours and salt. Mix together until all is combined. 

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Stretch and fold the dough into the bowl several times for about a minute. Cover & rest the dough rest for another 30 minutes. Complete in total 3 times stretch and fold. Cover and rest the dough between each set. After the 3rd stretch and fold, cover and leave the dough out on the counter overnight. In the morning it will have doubled in volume at least.

Pre-heat the oven to 225ºC fan oven. Place the Dutch oven with the lid on inside to heat up. You can also put the dough into a cold pot.

Dust your counter with flour. Scrape the dough out onto the counter. Don't punch it down. You want to keep as many of those bubbles as you can.

Pull the outside thirds into the middle and shape as you wish. Try to pull the outside of the dough as tightly as possible so it will hold its shape well. I shaped mine into an oval shape. You can also shape into a ball also known as a boule. Place your boule in a baking paper

Once the dough is shaped, cover with some oiled plastic or any cover that big enough for the dough. Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. Set the timer as this is the only proofing that should NOT be overdone.

Remove the oiled plastic and slash with a sharp knife, blade or lame. You can also makes lovely scoring which you can get idea and learn from Youtube if required.

Carefully remove the pot from the oven and remove the lid. Carefully place the dough into the pot. I lift mine by the edges of the baking paper and put the whole thing into the pot. Replace the lid and place in the oven.

Reduce the heat to 220ºC/200ºC for fan assist oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes.

Immediately remove from the pot and cool on a cooling rack completely before slicing.

Baby Shower Cake

Okay, if you stumble upon this articles I am sure you need a baby shower idea. This cake will set the tone for all the decisions and it offers deliciousness, of course, but it is a decorating element too that adorns the food table. The mum, or guest of honour, expects a cake that is personalised according to what she likes and anything known about the baby. 

I used a half ball pan. You can also use a Pyrex bowl to make the baby's bottom. Make the cake to any flavour of your wish. I baked a chocolate cake for this.

Cover the rump in icing and then white fondant. The baby bottom is on top of an 8 inch round cake. You can bake a gigger round cake if you need to feed more people!

I used the cake scraps from the round cake to make the legs. I carved them to be rounded, then covered the legs in icing and then fresh coloured fondant. I formed the feet out of the fresh coloured fondant and make fondant toes. I then used a knife to make indentions in the feet as wrinkles.

I rolled out some fondant and decorated it for the blanket. then just placed it on top of the rump

It is normal when you are finished to find yourself talking to the little tyke. I couldn't  help myself!!

Salmon Terrine

A great dish for a special occasion, this smoked salmon terrine never fail to impress. It looks elegant and complex, when in fact it is an absolute breeze to prepare.

Whether you make it as the star appetiser at your Christmas party or a weekend treat, this smoked salmon recipe is an absolute must !!

You can store terrine in the fridge for up to 4 days, although you'd do well to not devour it within 4 hours. The best thing to serve with this amazing terrine is a light, healthy, leafy salad or crackers.

Ingredients:

• 4 sheets leaf gelatine*
• 400g smoked salmon slices
• 300g cream cheese
• 120ml creme fraiche
• 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard**
• handful of dill, finely chopped***
• juice of 1 lime
• zest of ½ of the lime

Method:

Soak the gelatine in a bowl of water until softened.

Meanwhile, line a 1lb loaf pan  or terrine with a cling film. Use some of the smoked salmon to line the pan, laying the slices widthways across the base and up the sides and leaving enough hanging over the edge to fold over the top of the filling.

Set aside enough of the remaining smoked salmon to make a middle layer the length of the pan. Chop the rest finely by hand. 

In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, creame fraiche, mustard and dill until well combined. Scrape in the chopped salmon and mix with a spatula or a spoon until well combined.

Squeeze out the gelatine and put the sheets in a small pan. Add the lime juice. Place over a low heat until the gelatine has melted, cool slightly, then stir into the salmon mixture together with the lime zest.

Spoon half the mixture into lines pan. Lay the reserved smoked salmon sliced on the mixture along the length of the pan, then spoon on the rest of the filling and smooth the top****.

Tap the pan on the surface to expel any trapped air. Fold over the overhanging salmon slices to cover the top. Cover the whole pan with cling film and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours, preferably 6-8 hours or overnight.

Notes:

* Powdered gelatine can be used instead of the sheets. Substitute 1 tbsp powdered gelatine. Sprinkle it over the cold water in heatproof bowl then set aside until spongy. Place the bowl over simmering water until the gelatine has liquefied completely before adding it to the terrine mixture. 

**Dijon mustard can be substitute for wholegrain mustard.

*** If you can't get hold of dill, you can substitute it with chives.

****You can omit the middle layer.

 

Vegan Wellington Roast

Perfect for wintertime or Christmas !

This is hearty, meaty and savoury! Nutty flavours lifted by the leeks and the meatiness from the soy granules gives an authentic meaty feel to the roast.

Wrapped with puff pastry, this roast is packed with flavour and a great substitute  for meat dish on a special day

Ingredients:

• a packet of ready made vegan puff pastry
• 350g vacuum packed chestnuts
• 180g ready made, unmarinated soy granules
• 1-1.5 cups bread crumbs
• 2 leeks
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup soy milk
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp vegetable stock
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp dried rosemary
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• pinch of ground nutmeg

Glaze:

• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp soy sauce

Method:

In a pan add the finely chopped onions and garlic, soy granules, soy milk, oil, tomato ketchup, soy sauce, dried rosemary, thyme and nutmeg. Turn the heat on high and bring to a simmer. Stir occasionally.

Wash the leeks and take out the first outer layer off. Chop off both ends. Chop it down the long side, then finely chop the leek all the way down. Add to the pan when it's simmering. Turn the heat to medium and continue to cook. Stir occasionally.

Put the chestnuts in a food processor and blend until it has a texture similar to that of bulgur. Then add to the pan. Let it simmer for 5 minutes while stirring. The texture should be quiet thick in the end before putting in a bowl.

In the bowl with the mixture, add in the bread crumbs and use spoon to mix in as much as possible. Add in the bread crumbs as needed, you might not use all of the bread crumbs. This depends on how watery the mixture is from the leeks. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or overnight.

When the dough is ready to handle, knead it with your hand on a table top. Form a longer breadshaped mass with rounded edges.

Roll out the puff pastry. Place the roast in the middle.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC for fan assist oven.

Cut 14-16 straight lines from where the roast starts. Do the same on the other side. Fold in the outer part. Then take one strand and fold over the roast, then one from the outer side. Continue until the roast is fully braided. Transfer to a baking paper. Below is how to braid the pastry around the roast meat

Mix the marinate in a small bowl and brush it onto the roast.

Bake in the  middle of the oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Optional: Fry some fresh sage leaves. Take the leaves of the sprigs. Put in a pan with generous amount of oil and salt. Fry until crispy. Lay on a plate with kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil. 

Take the roast out from the oven when golden brown. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

70th Chocolate Cake

Here again another of my cake project. It's perfect for a golf enthusiast. This is a chocolate cake. I make this cake to suits vegan and non vegan. It is easy to split the diet requirement. Here the 7th is a non-vegan chocolate cake & the 0 is a vegan. Use any chocolate recipes that you prefer. 

Once the cake has cool, then garnish with a chocolate garnish. Here I used a vegan chocolate ganache for both the numbers. Let the chocolate ganache set. Once set then use a grass piping nozzle pipe the grass all over the cake. Here you can see I use the centre of 0 as bunker. I blitz a vegan biscuits then scatter over the centre.

Finally I decorated with golf balls. Filled the golf balls with truffles. Here is the link to my golf balls truffles.

Link: https://yummymummyrecipes.blogspot.com/2020/02/bucket-chocolate-cake-with-golf-balls.html