Apple & Blackberry Crumble (incl Gluten Free Option)

We adore apple crumbles, and at this time of the year both newly fallen apples and blackberries are available and plentiful - at least they are here in Ireland.

Fresh apples and blackberries, prepared for a crumble

Today I used apples that had fallen from our apple tree yesterday. We just have 2 apple trees, one is a very old cooking apple (the tree is at least 70 years old), and the other is a 12 year old 'Russet' (a traditional old fashioned small English eating apple, which tastes slightly nutty).

This recipe for apple crumble can be used with either gluten free flours, such as Dove Farm's gluten free plain flour, or normal wheat plain flour.  I make the gluten free option, as I am gluten intolerant.  Whichever type you use, the result is pretty similar, as the butter is there to bind the flour and sugar together.

Today I added a large handful of blackberries to the sliced up apples.  This not only adds a very yummy taste, but alters the colour to a gorgeous dark pink, depending on how many blackberries you use.  

I also love cinnamon in the fruit part of an apple crumble - but this is easily left out if you aren't into cinnamon.  I add flour to the apples as this gives the juice a slightly thicker, syrupy consistency, which is heavenly.

Anyway, here is the recipe I used today - This makes a medium sized crumble which is plenty for two people, including copious seconds !

Blackberry and Apple Crumble

(with both gluten free and standard flour options)

Ingredients

Crumble mix:
6 ozs  plain flour (or 6 ozs gluten free plain flour - I used Doves)
4 ozs  butter
5 ozs  caster sugar

Apple and blackberry mix:
8 medium apples
2 tablespoons blackberries
1 heaped teaspoon cinnamon
1 heaped tablespoon caster sugar
1 flat tablespoon plain flour (or same amount of plain gluten free flour)
lemon juice from half a lemon

Method

Apple mix:
1.  Put the lemon juice into a large mixing bowl.  Peel, core and evenly slice the apples, removing any bruised or damaged bits.  As you are slicing them, put them into the lemon juice, mixing with a wooden spoon to cover them.  This helps to prevent the apples going brown, as well as adding to the taste.

Cooking apples and blackberries, covered in lemon juice

2.  Into the bowl with the apples, add the cinnamon, sugar and flour.  Mix this around, gently, until the apple slices are all covered fairly evenly.

3.  Put the apple mixture into a high sided, ovenproof, pie dish - I use Pyrex casserole dishes.

4.  Sprinkle the blackberries evenly across the top of the apples.  Cover the dish with a cloth, or a lid if you have it.

*** Preheat the oven to 175C, which is about 350F

Crumble mix:
5.  Put the flour and butter into a large mixing bowl,  making sure that the butter is in no more than 1/2 inch lumps.

6.  Using your fingertips, 'rub' the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.

7.  Mix the sugar into the crumble mix, gently.

Gluten free dry crumble mix, ready to sprinkle on top of the fruit

Putting it together:
8.  Spoon the crumble mix evenly on top of the apples which are already in the ovenproof dish.

9.  Place the dish into the centre of the preheated oven.  Cook for 35-45 minutes (the crumble is best when just turning a light brown, but you may prefer it darker or lighter).

10.  Serve hot from the oven, with warm custard.  Also great cold the next day with cream !

This crumble recipe will also freeze extremely well for up to 4 or 5 months.  Alternatively, you can freeze the sliced apples covered in lemon juice in a bag, and the washed blackberries in another bag, for future use.

Also, why not make double the dry crumble mix, pop half into a plastic bag or container, and freeze it !!  Remember to label what is gluten free what what isn't !

Super Fast Scrummy Chocolate Mousse & the Delectable Nigella Lawson

Two things happened in the last couple of days.

First I watched Nigella Lawson on some channel on my newly connected Sky TV (well reconnected as my TV went kaput about 18 months ago and I cancelled my Sky contract then obviously... and haven't had TV since - until a friend recently loaned me a small one).

And second I have been invited to a New Year's Eve party/dinner and I have agreed to do a couple of desserts to help my friend out.

So, having watched the gorgeous Nigella (thank gawd I'm not male or I'd never have remembered this recipe) whip up a super fast and yummy chocolate mousse, I decided to use this recipe for my friend's dinner party.

Hmmm if you are reading this and have also been invited - SHHHHHHHHHHH - Don't you dare tell !

Nigella Lawson's Express Super Fast Chocolate Mousse

150 g Marshmallows (Mini ones are easier and faster if you can get them)
50 g Unsalted Butter (softened)
250 g Dark Chocolate chopped (preferably over 70% cocoa solids content) (chocolate drops or callebaut is faster, rather than chopping a bar of chocolate)
60 ml Hot Water (from a recently boiled kettle)
284 ml Double Cream
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1. Cut up all the marshmallows into a heavy, good saucepan. If you bought mini marshmallows they can go in whole.

2. Add the softened butter and the chocolate pieces.

3. Add the water from the kettle.

4. Put the saucepan on a ring to heat, gently. Stir it now and then to make sure that everything is mixed smoothly.

5. Take the saucepan off the heat.

6. Whip the double cream with the vanilla extract until it is nice and thick.

7. Add the whipped cream to the chocolate mix in the cooling saucepan, folding it in gently so as not to loose too much of the volume, until its nice and smooth again.

8. Spoon into the serving dishes.

9. Place in the fridge for 3 hours to set.

Another advantage of this recipe is that it has no raw eggs and is therefore very safe for certain groups, such as pregnant mothers.

Bread and Butter Pudding - Good Old-fashioned Comfort Food

Traditional old-fashioned bread and butter pudding is one of my all time favourite foods.

It's a true comfort food, especially at this time of year. Both my Mother and my grandmother used to make it - perfectly !

Yesterday I had wanted to go for another walk to see the floods on the other side of me - but the clouds were dark and low in the sky, and it rained on and off all day. In a word it was dreary and nasty.

OK that's two words...

So

I stayed in and made bread and butter pudding.

Bread & Butter Pudding

8 slices white Bread (you can leave the crusts on as long as they aren't too hard)
Butter
2 ozs Sultanas
3 Eggs
2.5 ozs Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 pint Milk

1. Butter the slices of bread on one side.

2. Cut the bread into fingers.

3. Place the fingers in layers into a well greased ovenproof dish. After each layer sprinkle some sultanas before putting the next layer on.



It will look like this when you have them all in the dish.

4. Next heat the milk to boiling point.

5. In a bowl beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract together well.

6. When the milk is just boiling, pour it over the beaten egg mixture and beat it in well.

The beaten mixture will look like this.

7. Pour the hot mixture gently onto the bread fingers, as evenly as you can.

8. Leave it to soak right in for at least 30 minutes.

Have a cup of tea...

9. Once it has soaked in it will look something like this, and it is ready to be cooked.

10. Bake in a moderately hot oven at 180C - 350F - Gas mark 4 for about 40 minutes, or until set. The top should be a medium brown colour. Nice.

11. Remove it from the oven, serve and eat.

Blackberry Syrup

I made this this afternoon with a few blackberries I picked in my bottom field.

Its reasonably quick and easy - and the result is the most fresh tasting and vibrantly coloured ice cream sauce you can imagine !

Of course you can use for many other things too.........

I measure the fruit and sugar in cups or mugs or whatever you please !

Blackberry Syrup or Sauce

Freshly picked Blackberries
White Sugar
Water
Lemon Juice

1. Wash the blackberries to remove bits and wildlife...

2. For every cup of blackberries, use a 1/4 cup of water.

3. Put the blackberries and water into a large saucepan.

4. With a potato masher or something similar, squish the fruit down well, to release the juice.

5. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to simmer.

6. Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the fruit is soft.

7. Pour the pulp/fruit mash through a fine sieve or a muslin/jelly bag, into a bowl. Don't push it through harshly, let it drip and just encourage it gently by pressing it with a spatula or similar.

8. Once the juice stops running through, measure the juice and discard the pulp to the compost.

9. For every cup of juice add a cup of white sugar, and put all this back into the cleaned saucepan with about 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice per cup of juice.

10. Bring it to the boil and stir to dissolve the sugar.

11. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the liquid becomes slightly viscous, but still runny. This should only take a minute.

12. Pour into sterilised jars while very hot and seal immediately.

Will keep for months and months.

Chocolate Mousse

To kick off the delicious chocolate recipes for this special week, I have chosen one of my fav choc desserts mmmm.

This recipe makes enough for like 6 or 8 people, ish, yet I can easily adjust that to 1 person... and maybe stretch it over a 8 hour period...

Just.

And then feel very sick.

As despite my obsession with chocolate this week, I don't actually ever eat much of it, as even small amounts fill me fast ! How sad !

It works great with Cadbury's Bournville Chocolate (dark), but you can use any bitter, high cocoa content, high quality dark chocolate.

Anyway, here it is.

Chocolate Mousse

200g bar dark Chocolate (at least 70% cocoa or Cadbury's Bournville works great)
4 full size Cadbury's Flakes
1/2 pint double Cream
2 teaspoons dry instant Coffee (a good quality one such as Gold Blend etc)
4 Egg yolks
2 tablespoons Coffee Liqueur

1. Put the dark chocolate bar into a blender, broken into squares.

2. In a pan heat the double cream with the instant coffee until it starts to boil.

3. Pour the hot mix into the blender quickly, put on the lid and blend until the dark chocolate has melted, about 1 minute.

4. Then add the egg yolks and the coffee liqueur, and blend for another 30 seconds.

5. Pour the mix into a bowl and put in the fridge for an hour, maybe more, until it is thick and cold.

6. Take it out of the fridge and whisk it vigorously until it is fluffy, paler, thicker and light. This needs to be for at least 5 minutes, and that's with an electric whisk. Longer by hand.

7. Roughly crumble 2 of the flakes and gently stir them into the mixture.

8. Put the mixture into individual serving dishes or glasses and place them in the fridge, or a cool place, to set.

9. When you are about to serve them, decorate each one with half a crumbled flake.

Blackberry & Apple Dumplings

I was out this afternoon picking more blackberries, some for yesterday's Spiced Blackberries recipe, and some to store in the freezer for the winter. I use them to make Blackberry and Apple Crumbles, Blackberry & Apple Sauce, wine, cordials, syrups and also to just sprinkle on desserts.

I also like to make Blackberry Dumplings.

I guarantee if you make these, you will be addicted !

Blackberry Dumplings

4 ozs fresh Blackberries
1 medium Bramley Apple (or other cooking apple)
4 ozs self-raising Flour
1 oz Butter
1/4 pint Water
A pinch of Sea Salt
Granulated white Sugar
Some cold Milk

1. Wash the blackberries carefully, so as not to loose any juice.

2. Peel and core the apple. Cut it into quarters, so that you have 4 pieces.

3. Put the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, and using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour, until you have the texture of breadcrumbs.

4. Stir in 3 level teaspoons of white sugar.

5. Stir in about 4 tablespoons of cold milk, until you have a soft dough.

6. Divide the dough into 4 lumps on a floured surface.

7. Take a piece of the apple and mould one of the dough lumps around it. Make sure that the apple is totally covered.

8. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of white sugar in the 1/4 pint of water in a medium saucepan.

9. Add the blackberries to the pan and bring it to the boil gently.

10. Place the apple dumplings on top of the blackberries, cover the pan and simmer for 25 minutes.

11. DO NOT remove the lid for the first 15 minutes. This is very important.

12. Put one dumpling on a serving dish for each person (4 dishes). Spoon the blackberries over each dumpling.

13. Double cream poured on the side just about finishes this off !

Fried Bananas & Honey Chocolate Sauce

I have this yearning for something sweet, sticky and very very unhealthy... but I know I will feel sick afterwards, so I thought of this 'healthy' sweet, sticky pudding.

OK so the chocolate isn't healthy, but the banana is packed full of potassium and stuff and the honey is, well honey. And I am going to use Green & Blacks organic chocolate, naturally...

You can use either milk, white or dark (plain) choc for this recipe. Wait and see what mood you are in, then decide !

White for melancholy and relaxed...

Milk for comfort and that 'orgasmic' feeling...

Dark for excitement and sheer decadence...

Of course you could always use all 3 and then goodness knows what will happen... (please comment about your experiences here as I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd like to know).

So here it is -

Sophii's Fried Bananas & Honey Chocolate Sauce

allow 1 banana per person

4 ripe Bananas (sliced into rounds, about 1.5cm thick (around 1/2 an inch)
4 teaspoons unsalted Butter
1.5 ozs Butter (normal salted)
4 teaspoons clear Honey
8 tablespoons chopped dark Chocolate (plain)

1. Melt the salted butter in a frying pan.

2. Toss in the banana rounds and fry on a medium heat, on both sides, until a golden colour.

3. Put the bananas into 4 individual serving dishes or plates.

4. Put the chocolate, unsalted butter and honey into a glass (or Pyrex)mixing bowl.

5. Either in the microwave, or using the bowl over a saucepan of boiling water, melt the mixture until it is smooth, stirring it now and then.

6. Pour the chocolate sauce over the bananas and serve immediately.

Note: The management are not responsible for the state of your mental health whilst eating the above recipe.

Bread and Butter Pudding My Mum Used to Make

I will admit to this being an absolute favourite of mine and I personally put neither cream or custard on it.. I like it as is MMMMMMM.

Bread & Butter Pudding

12 slices thinly cut White Bread
3 ozs Butter (quite soft)
8 Eggs
3 ozs Caster Sugar (fine sugar but not icing sugar)
3 ozs Sultanas
1.75 litres (3.75 US pints) full fat Milk
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Freshly ground Nutmeg to taste

1. Cut the crusts off of the slices of bread and butter them all on both sides (if you need more butter use it).

2. Cut each slice into 4 triangles.

3. Arrange one single layer of the triangles in a large shallow (capacity about 2 litres) ovenproof dish, overlapping them slightly. Use about half the slices.

4. Sprinkle half the sultanas evenly across the slices.

5. Layer the rest of the slices of bread on top, evenly and slightly overlapping again.

6. Beat together the sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla extract in a bowl.

7. Pour half the egg mixture over the bread and leave to stand and soak in for 10 minutes.

8. After 10 minutes beat the remaining egg mixture again, add in the sultanas then pour it all into the dish evenly across the bread pieces.

9. Sprinkle with the nutmeg. Some people seem to prefer cinnamon rather than the nutmeg.

10. Cook for about 50 minutes at 160C, or 140C if its a fan assisted oven. That's 320F, or 285F for fan assisted ovens. For gas ovens its mark 2 for maybe 55 - 60 minutes, but keep an eye on it. Basically cook it until the custard is set and the top is nice and crispy and browning (not burnt).

This is great hot or cold... and is positively addictive.

Poached Pears & Chocolate Sauce

I must apologise for the somewhat shorter and rushed blogs of the last few days, but the baby kittens take up a LOT of my time !

And I'm exhausted !

So... here is a very old favourite that my Mother adored and made now and then...

Poached Pears and Chocolate Sauce

4 Pears (peeled, halved and cored)
1 litre (4 cups in the US) Water
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 Vanilla Bean (halved longways)
4 ozs (1/2 cup) White Sugar
7 ozs Dark Chocolate (chopped roughly)
4.5 fl ozs (1/2 cup or 125ml) Double Cream

1. Put the pears, cinnamon, water, vanilla bean and sugar into a saucepan.

2. Stir gently over medium heat until the sugar is melted.

3. Bring to the boil, then simmer, covered, for around 8 minutes, or under the pears become tender.

4. Drain. You don't need to keep the liquid.... unless you can think of a use for it.

5. Mix the chocolate and cream in a small saucepan.

6. Stir it over a low gentle heat for about 5 minutes until it is smooth and irresistible...

7. Pour the chocolate cream over the pears to serve.

Tomorrow I am going to post my old Bread and Butter Pudding, and a bit about a farmer with a difference at the Kinvara Farmer's Market...

Banoffi Pie & Kitten Dinners

Right now there isn't much time for anything more than feeding kittens and generally caring for them.

That is apart from chasing escaped donkeys who decided to ram the electric fencing and eat my wildflower lawn and new raspberry canes....

And making raspberry jam...

And massaging my own back...

And playing, I mean learning to use, my new camera courtesy of an Ebay bargain... (means I can post photos here of things I cook and gather).

So, seeing as it is Sunday and the rain is continuous, the wind miserable and the sky a heavy grey, I thought I would share my favourite dessert recipe.

Banoffi Pie











(image courtesy of Wikipedia)


Base
8oz Chocolate Digestive Biscuits
(alternatively try Ginger Nuts for a change)
1 large tablespoon Demerara Sugar
4oz unsalted Butter

Dulce de Leche Layer
14oz (about 400g) tin of full cream sweetened Condensed Milk

Banana Layer
5 Bananas

Cream Layer
3/4 pint (about 425ml) Double Cream (this is very thick cream NOT whipping cream or single cream)
1 small teaspoon Camp Coffee (optional but incredible)
Ground Italian Coffee

1. Crush the biscuits, then mix it into in the melted butter and the demerara sugar.

2. Firm the biscuit mix into the base of a 10" to 12" loose bottomed tin or low sided dish. Alternatively this works great if you just make a very firm, flat circle with the biscuit mix, about 10-12 inches in diameter on a large flat plate. Place in the fridge to cool and for the butter etc to set.

3. Pierce the top of the condensed milk tin several times. Put it into a pan of boiling water which reaches about half way up the tin. Keep it simmering for about 1 hour, topping the water up as required.

4. After 1 hour open the tin (very carefully so as not to spill any) and stir the contents. Simmer whilst open for another 15 minutes.

5. Slice the bananas into thin rings. Cover the biscuit base with them evenly.

6. Cover the banana layer with the contents of the condensed milk tin whilst hot. This is now what is known in Argentina as 'Dulce de Leche' and is similar to a very sweet caramel, just not quite. Let it seep around the bananas and put back in the fridge to cool.

7. Beat the double cream with the liquid Camp coffee until just thick. Spread it evenly over the bananas and Dulce de Leche/caramel.

8. Sprinkle a tiny amount of ground Italian coffee on the top to decorate, or maybe chocolate flakes or curls instead. (I like the coffee as the sharp flavour is in great contrast to the cream and the sweet caramel).

9. Have orgasms eating too much...

Banoffi pie was 'invented' by Ian Dowding and Nigel Mackenzie of The Hungry Monk restaurant in Jevington, Sussex, UK, in 1972.

However, Ian's version is slightly different than mine, as we all make it in our favourite way.

If you are interested in the original recipe you can see it by clicking here.

Baked Plums & Mascarpone Dessert

Today was exhausting, and I got nothing done apart from some proof reading and a bit of shopping (more cat food).

There are times when I realise I really can't do as much as I used to... and how I wish it was old age.

Today is one of those days.

I did manage to squeeze in a visit to the Ballyvaughan Farmer's Market as usual, and bought some delicious free range hand reared pork chops and sausages. Such a rarity and what taste ! The lady who rears and sells them is as delightful as her product.

OK now to the plums. This is simply divine and so incredibly simple.

Baked Plums with Mascarpone

6 fresh ripe Plums
Mascarpone
Extra virgin Olive Oil
Almond slices to decorate

1. Cut the plums in half and carefully take out the stones.

2. Drizzle olive oil on the base of a baking dish (pie dish, pyrex shallow baking dish or similar).

3. Lay the plum halves on the baking dish, cut side facing upwards.

4. Drizzle a bit more olive oil on the plums.

5. Bake in a medium oven until the plums are gooey (soft and squiggy). Remove from the oven.

6. Generously dollop a large spoonful of the mascarpone onto each plum whilst still warm.

7. Trim each one with 3 almond bits of sliced almonds.

Eat !!! I think these are best whilst still warm.

Happy Sunday ! Fake Strawberry Ice Cream

Welcome to my Sunday !

I have had an extremely lazy day - apart from building a Forum for my other blog www.rheumatoidarthritisireland.blogspot.com , watering the polytunnel and picking more tomatoes, all I did was lie in bed reading until 11am ! I finished the book so I will have to find another for tonight in bed.

One of my kittens (Sooty) decided to figure out the cap flap last night... and he hasn't appeared today... I'm a bit worried, but he has been out overnight before (when he has refused to come in at night), however that wasn't alone, it was with his brother, Sweep.

Tonight I am making more pasta sauce with the tomatoes, cooking roast pork (which I got as a bargain in SuperValu for €2.99 !!) and creating the body beautiful for my date tomorrow.

Hard work that. Lots to do to get it into shape and I only have 15 hours... I've been sidetracked growing veg this summer and things have started to fall apart a tad. I need to make my nails look like nails (rather than garden picks), de fluff my shins (in case the sun is out and I wear a long skirt, and it is also windy), and finally find something to wear.

What to wear... I could definitely do with some help there. Is it possible to make country 'flitting around the garden and picking blackberries in the lanes' clothes look chic, sexy and the kind of thing a guy looks at and says, 'I want that woman', dashing out to buy a bunch of roses, then parachuting down to her and declaring his undying love ?

I don't think so.

Ok so I will go for the 'Summer breeze, wind blown, seeds in the hair, natural earthy look'... and I won't have to bother getting ready even. I like this idea.

Well that being settled, here is a luscious recipe idea for a yummy ice cream.

Fake Strawberry Ice Cream

1 2/3 pints (2 US pints) Strawberries
2 cups Greek Yogurt (plain)
0.5 cup Maple Syrup
1 cup Sour cream

If you can get organic fruit, Greek yogurt and sour cream it would be fantastic. I have a thing about organic food, and always use it when I can.

1. Squish the berries well, into a pulp.

2. Mix the maple syrup into the mushed berries.

3. Next mix in the Greek yogurt and the sour cream.

4. Put the mixture into a shallow pan, and place in the freezer.

5. Stir it every 30 minutes for 2 hours.

6. Eat !

You can easily use raspberries or blueberries instead of the strawberries for this fake ice cream.

News Flash

The wandering kitten has just returned and is sat in front of the oven watching the joint of pork cook.

His sense of smell obviously works.

Chocolate Courgette Cake Recipe (Zucchini to Some)

Well here it is - the day that most of Ireland spends doing fun stuff... and I'm feeling left out !

So, what is required is a little self love and a lot of pandering with lush goodies. I have tomatoes, runner beans and courgettes to spare, which somewhat limits my choice of to die for edibles. So I'm back to an old favourite, Chocolate Courgette Cake.

I know you are going to think YUK and mega YUK, but trust me, this is one moist, chocolatey and delicious cake. And apart from trying to avoid getting blood from your knuckles in the mix, its fun and easy to make...

Besides, with that sexy dark brown chocolate colour a bit of blood will never show...

Chocolate Courgette Cake
(or if you are in the US or Australia - Chocolate Zucchini Cake)

Ingredients:

120g Butter (softened)
125 ml Extra virgin olive oil
100g Castor sugar
200g Demerera sugar
3 Eggs, beaten
130 ml Milk
350g Organic wholemeal spelt flour
2 tsp Baking powder
4 tablespoons Cadbury's drinking chocolate
450 g Courgettes, peeled and grated finely
1 teaspoon organic Vanilla extract
(most of my ingredients are organic)

Instructions:

1. Line a 8" x 13" baking tray with baking (greaseproof) paper and set the oven to 190C or 350F.

2. Mix the butter, olive oil and both sugars together until light and fluffy.

3. Gradually add the eggs, one at a time and then the milk until mixed thoroughly.

4. Throw the dry ingredients in and fold them into the mixture.

5. Stir in the grated courgettes (peeled) and the vanilla extract and then spoon the mixture into the baking tin.

6. Bake for 35-45 minutes.

7. Cut into squares whilst still warm.

I would love to hear from you as to what you think of this recipe so please feel free to send a comment.

Also, if you aren't sure about the measurements or ingredient names ever, the same applies as I am always willing to help a fellow foodie. Alternatively my email is sheeaunmusic@gmail.com