Apricots, Earl Grey & mascarpone

It is time for a dessert from my new cookbook. Simplicity of many dishes really took me over but quite unexpectedly the desserts really won my heart too. And as I mentioned few times - I am not a really dessert person. I like to eat them, but not a big fan of making sweets. I have few recipes that I stick to and don't experiment a lot. This time it was completely different and I can tell you now this is not the last dessert from "Hugh's Three Good Things (on a plate)" on this blog. I am absolutely in love with this one and cannot wait to try some more fruity puddings soon.

Serves 6

250g organic dried apricots

500ml hot Earl Grey  tea

200g mascarpone 

20g icing sugar (or to taste)

splash of double cream (optional)

Place the apricots in a container and cover with hot tea. Leave it to cool down, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight. 

Next drain the liquid into a pan and boil until reduced by half and syrupy. When still warm pour over the apricots, leave it to cool down, cover and place in the fridge for another few hours, or up to two days. (each time I left apricots in the fridge for about 16-18 hours).

Beat the mascarpone with the sugar using hand miser or balloon whisk and if it gets too stiff add splash of cream or some Earl Grey syrup to loose it up.

Serve apricots with syrup and a dollop of mascarpone.


Swaps? Extras? Use dried figs, sultanas or prunes instead or as a mix.

Five or less ingredients # 6 (two ingredient ice cream)

I haven't posted anything in this series for quite some time, and now it just realised that this recipe is just perfect. It will be a dessert for a change and something that suits my diet - I am unable to eat most of the dairy products and sweets. For more than a week I had some fruit for my desserts (I am only allowed to have some...) or some fruit & buttermilk shakes and then I decided to make ice cream. I know that sorbets were an option too, but I didn't fancy any.

I found this simple recipe on many American blogs, they seem to be very popular also there any many versions, but most of the ingredients doesn't suit my diet at the moment. SO I went for one of the easiest one - with peanut butter, but no sugar or honey added - bananas are sweet enough for me. I always use natural, organic, unsweetened peanut butter - no nonsense ingredients. It goes very well with the banana - but you probably know I am a huge fan of salty - sweet desserts.

I was a bit sceptical at first but when I tried them I was extremely happy and now I am hooked. I am definitely going to make some more flavours. I hope you will give it a go - if you don't like it you will waste little time and only two ingredients.

Banana & peanut butter ice cream

makes about 4-6 scoops

4 small very ripe bananas (preferably with blackened skins)
2 tbsp natural unsweetened peanut butter

Peel the bananas and cut into not too thick slices. Place on a tray in one layer and place in a freezer. I left mine overnight, but I think 3 hours is enough time to freeze them. Then remove the tray from the freezer and leave it in room temperature for about 10 minutes.

Then place them in a food processor and blend - scraping down the bowl when they stick. Blend until nearly smooth and then add the peanut butter and mix for a little while. You can add peanut butter straight away and mix with the bananas, but I wanted to have a veins of peanut butter in my ice cream, so I added it at the very end. You can enjoy your ice cream now, or place it in a container and freeze it for later. Remember to remove it from a freezer for about 20 minutes before serving.

 Previously in this series:

#1 Series rules and pork stir fry in caramel sauce

#2 Salmon baked with fennel and black olives

#3 Tagliatelle with courgettes & sun blushed tomatoes

#4 Avocado & blue cheese bites

#5 Spinach & egg tart 

Bread & butter pudding with rhubarb carpaccio

Do you like recipes using stale bread? I love them. I am sure I don't have to introduce good old bread & butter pudding to anyone. This is so comforting, home cooked pud, perhaps not very good looking but certainly very tasty. I don't mind bread & butter pudding bakes in big dish and scooped out, however this time I wanted to make something looking more elegant.

I usually bake this pudding using some leftover baguette, challah bread or croissant. I like to leave the crust on because it gives pudding another texture and it seems more interesting than pudding made with no crust bread. I don't normally make it using any jam or marmalade but I like to put some brandy or whisky or dark chocolate chips in more posh version.

Today I will show you my recent experiment - I wanted to have one of my favourite puds with rhubarb but not with rhubarb compote. So I found this lovely rhubarb carpaccio in "From Nature to Plate" by Tom Kitchin. It was served with completely different dessert and I have also changed the recipe for the carpaccio slightly because when I first followed it by word it turned out not exactly how I expected (too hard). 

I have to say I was really pleased with the outcome - better looking bread and butter pudding. I served it with some rhubarb syrup, real vanilla ice cream and fresh thyme.

Serves 4 

(I used small tea loaf baking tins, each one a hand size)

Carpaccio:

1 large rhubarb stalk (or two smaller)

about 400ml water
about 250ml caster sugar
juice and zest of half lemon

Chop the rhubarb in about 10cm pieces and then using a mandoline slice it into about 2mm ribbons. 

Place the sugar in a pan together with water and lemon juice and zest. Bring it to the boil and place the rhubarb ribbons in it. Again bring to the boil and remove from the heat immediately. Leave it in the syrup for about 5 minutes. Then very gently remove the ribbons from the syrup and place them on the serving plates. I recommend to boil more ribbons than you actually need, because they are very gentle and can disintegrate easily, so it is better to have spare ones just in case.

Boil the strained syrup until thickens little bit.

Pudding:

about 12-16 slices of baguette, about 0.5cm each

about 30g unsalted butter
handful of dried currants
some brandy  (few tablespoon just to soak the fruit)
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
300ml double cream
200ml milk (at least semi skimmed, but full is better)
40g caster sugar 

Ideally one day ahead soak the currants in the brandy, or at least 2 hour before baking.

Line the baking tray with little butter and butter all the bread slices, then arrange them in the baking trays in few layers. Sprinkle some currants between each layer and if you have some brandy left from soaking drizzle it in the top.

In a mixing bowl mix the eggs withe the egg yolks and the sugar and beat (I used balloon whisker) until fluffy. Add the cream, milk, and mix well. Pour the mixture over the layered bread and leave it to soak for about 20 minutes. you may find out that this is too much of the mixture and the bread will not take everything, depends on the type of bread you use, so either use less of the mixture or you may end up with pudding with some sweet scrambled eggs on the sides. I don't mind this, but I understand this could be an issue to some people. 

Heat the oven to 180 C. Place small tins in one large baking dish and fill it with hot water (about 3/4 of the tins height). Cover with some kitchen foil - this will prevent the top coat from becoming crispy (it will end up at the bottom, as you serve it upside down), unless you want this bit to have crispy texture. Bake for about 40-50 minutes.

Remove from the oven, leave it to cool down little bit and remove the puddings from the tins.
  
To serve:

real vanilla ice cream (I use Brymor) 

some fresh thyme leaves

Place the puddings upside down on the rhubarb carpaccio and if you have any carpaccio left you can trim it and cover the top as well. Next drizzle with some warm rhubarb syrup, using two spoons form good looking ice cream scoop and place it on the top. Sprinkle with some thyme leaves and serve immediately. 

Apple & cranberry pancakes with spiced butter

I was really keen to cook those pancakes since I first saw them in December’s “Good Food” issue. I love the aroma and the taste of spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, pepper. In many Polish homes a gingerbread is served during the Christmas and the idea of having something for a breakfast with this hint of Christmassy was very tempting. Originally this was served with a cinnamon butter but I decided to go for the whole range of spices and use mixed spice. Also they recommend peeling the apple; I personally think that this would be such a shame to get rid of the apple skin. I also did not weight the cranberries, just added a good handful.  Don’t be surprised with the idea of salted butter being used along the sugar and spices – it goes amazingly good with the sour cranberries and the sweet syrup. 

This was one of the best things I ever had for my breakfast. I would highly recommend this for a breakfast in cold winter morning especially when you are planning a walk – it gives a real kick! We had it twice already and still can’t stop thinking about having some more.  

Serves 2-3

For the pancakes:

150g self raising flour

half tsp bicarbonate soda

pinch of salt

1 egg, beaten

about 140ml buttermilk

2 tbsp milk

about 40g melted butter

1 eating apple, cored and coarsely grated

handful of dried cranberries

more butter for frying

maple syrup for serving

Spiced butter:

about 40g salted butter

1 tbsp mixed spice

1 tsp caster sugar

To make the spiced butter roughly cut the butter with a knife sprinkle with mixed spice and sugar, chop little bit further so all the ingredients are mixed well. Form a sausage shape and wrap in a piece of paper, store in a fridge.

For the pancakes mix the flour with the soda and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and gradually whisk in the egg (I used fork), followed by milk, buttermilk and melted butter. Once the mixture is smooth and there are no signs of dry flour add the grated apple and cranberries.

Melt some butter in a frying pan and when hot ladle small amount of batter to form 3-4 pancakes, depending on the size of your pan.  Cook for about 3 minutes until golden and turn over and fry for 2 more minutes, or until golden.

To serve stack pancakes on a warm plate, add good knob of spiced butter on the top and drizzle with maple syrup.  And I swear - now when I am writing about this my mouth waters.

Cinnamon & Sultana Swirl Bread

To fight first signs of autumn depression it is good to have something tasty for breakfast on really wet and dull morning. I have made this bread for a first time and it turned out to be too much for two if us, therefore I decided to share this little ray of sunshine with David and his wife who live nearby. They appreciate good food and I thought it would be nice to have a slice of this bread with hot tea when he gets back from a shooting day. I love to share these little nice things with other people.

I found this recipe on The Kitchn website and I have changed it slightly. I used brown sugar instead of the white, sultanas instead of raisins and soaked them in the dessert wine instead of water.

Makes 2 loaves

Dough:

1 cup sultanas
some dessert wine, enough to cover the sultanas 
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons salt
6 cups all-purpose flour


Filling:

3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 egg beaten with 2 teaspoons warm water


Put the raisins in a small bowl and cover them with warm wine (or water if you follow the original recipe). Let the raisins plump for at least 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to dry.

Pour a cup of water into the bowl of a standing mixer or large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over top. Give it a few minutes, then stir to dissolve the yeast into the water. Stir the milk, melted butter, and salt into the water. Gradually add the flour, one tablspoon at time and mi to form a dough. Knead in your mixer on low speed with a dough hook or knead by hand for 8-10 minutes to form a smooth, slightly tacky dough. The dough is ready when it forms a ball without sagging and quickly springs back when poked.

Toss the raisins with a few tablespoons of flour to absorb any residual moisture from when they were plumped. With the mixer on gradually add them to the bowl and continue kneading until they are evenly distributed.

Next cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about an hour. Meanwhile, combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and beat together the egg and water in a second bowl.

Divide the dough into two pieces. Roll each part of the dough out on the working surface. It should be slightly less wide than your baking pan and as long as you can make it. The thinner the dough, the more layers of cinnamon swirl you'll end up with.

Brush the entire surface of the dough with egg wash, leaving about two inches clear at the top. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon and sugar and save little bit for later. Starting at the end closest to you, roll up the dough. When you get to the top, pinch the seam closed. Transfer the loaf to your loaf pan seam-side down.

Let the loaves rise 30-40 minutes, I left mine for 30 minutes and it was slighlty too short, the bread cracked on one side during the baking.

Brush the top with some of the remaining egg wash and sprinkle some of your remaining cinnamon sugar over the tops of the loaves as well. Bake in 180 C (fan) for 40 minutes until golden brown.

Remove the loaves from the pans and allow them to cool completely before slicing. I love to toast it and spred some butter over the bread. Baked loaves can also be frozen for up to three months.

Strawberry & millet pudding (with coconut milk and cardamom)

I have burnt the millet. No, it wasn’t a culinary disaster, it was my new pudding. Strawberries are in season, I have gone mad about the millet some time ago. So I thought I would like to try a new dessert. I use to  place some yoghurt and strawberries on a top of cooked millet and eat it – tasty however not the best looking. I wanted something else. 

I have made it upside down and burnt some sugar on the top. Millet brûlée? Why not! With a hint of oriental flavours – coconut milk and cardamom.

Makes 2 

½ cup uncooked millet
about 1½ cup of coconut milk
2 tsp agave syrup (or sugar, whichever you prefer)
3 whole green cardamoms, skinned, black seeds grinded in a mortar
8-10 strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 tsp brown sugar

Rinse the millet under running water.

Sprinkle one tsp of sugar over the strawberries and leave to macerate. 

In a pan boil the coconut milk with cardamom, add agave syrup and millet reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, uncovered. Then turn the heat off, cover and leave in a warm place until all the liquid is absorbed and millet is cooked. At this stage you can leave it to cool down or use warm. 

Divide the strawberries between two ceramic ramekins. Cover with millet, sprinkle with the remaining sugar and caramelise with kitchen blow torch. Serve immediately. 

Pancakes with roasted rhubarb & vanilla crème fraîche

I had the idea of serving roasted rhubarb with crème fraîche and pancakes from some ancient “Good Food” issue. The idea was brilliant however I found this particular recipe inconsistent. Also there was no recipe for pancakes – or shall I say – perhaps I did not cut it out of the magazine. I did not worry too much because I know exactly how to make different types of pancakes.

Yesterday I had this overwhelming feeling that I have to eat a pancake. Luckily for my figure my common sense said “no” to making pancakes at 10 pm, so I went to bed. Next day I prepared one of the best pancakes I have ever had.

I decided to make bit thicker and sort of spongier pancakes, because they are great to wipe off the cream and juices. If you are not sure about this combination of sweet & sour rhubarb with sour-ish cream, please do not hesitate to try. It is unbelievable. What a great trio! I will definitely make it every year when rhubarb is in season.


Serves 4-6

Pancakes

3 eggs (I used duck eggs)
3 level tsp caster sugar
about 250ml milk
about 100ml sparking water
about 300ml plain flour
little butter for frying (I used ghee)
some icing sugar to finish off

Separate egg whites from yolks. Add sugar to the yolks and mix using hand mixer until well mixed and little fluffy. Add water, milk and flour and mix well again until combined.

Using hand mixer beat the egg whites until stiff. Then add whites to the milk and egg mixture and fold it gently. You want to preserve as much air as possible.

Place bowl in a bigger bowl filled with cold water – this suppose prevent the batter from collapsing.

Fry thin pancakes on both sides in a frying pan using butter.



Roasted rhubarb

6 rhubarb stalks, cut diagonally into 5-6cm pieces
2-3 pieces of stem ginger, sliced
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp sugar
zest and juice of one lemon

Place all of the above in a pan and roast or boil over a low heat. I had oven preheated to roast something else, so I used oven ( 10-12 minutes, 180C).



Vanilla crème fraîche

200ml crème fraîche
seeds from one vanilla pod
2 tsp icing sugar

Mix well all the ingredients.

Serve warm pancakes drizzled with juices from roasted rhubarb, rhubarb on the side and a good dollop of crème fraîche. Optionally you can sprinkle them with some icing sugar.

Chocolate fondant with salted caramel sauce

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…

Do I really have to write anything or perhaps this time I will let photos and recipe speak for themselves?

If you are not sure about salt in chocolate desserts, let me just point out that salt brings out its chocolatiness.

It is sticky, dark, decadent dessert. For the chocolateholics.

Recipe adapted from "Je veux du chocolat" by Trish Deseine.

For round spring tin 20-22cm (serves 6-8)


For the salted caramel sauce:

100g sugar
2 tbsp water
50g salted butter
7 tbsp crème fraîche
two twists of rock salt grinder – on a setting that salt still should be coarse

Place sugar and water in a pan and bring to boil, do not stir! The sugar will dissolve. Boil until golden, sticky and bubbling; again do not be tempted to stir. Remove from the heat and mix the cube butter in together with a salt. Next add the crème fraîche and mix thoroughly again. Leave it to cool down.



For the fondant:

200g good quality dark chocolate, min. 70% cocoa solids
200g butter
5 eggs
1 tbsp flour
50-60g icing sugar


Heat the oven to 180°C.

Melt chocolate with butter in bain-marie (also known as a water bath), next add sugar, mix well and leave it to cool down.

Slowly mixing add one by one egg, making sure the egg is completely mixed in before adding next one. The mixture should be shiny and smooth.
Next add 150g salted caramel sauce and mix again, before adding the flour.

Transfer the mixture to baking tin (I lined mine with baking paper) and bake for about 15-18 minutes (depends on the tin size and oven type). The fondant should be baked on the edges but still wobbly in the middle.

Remove from the oven immediately and leave it to cool down. Serve with some salted caramel sauce on the top. It tastes better next day, I bake it day ahead.

French toasts with orange syrup

Some people say that we should eat breakfast like a king, dinner like a noble and supper like a peasant. Do you remember emperor's omlette? This time I have made lovely breakfast which I think is worth at least royal table. However like a peasant I used stale bread. Filling, comforting, delicious twist on French toast.








Serves 2

6 slices of stale baguette
2 eggs
about 100ml milk
zest and juice of one large orange
2 heaped tbsp of caste sugar
few tbsp butter, for frying

Mix eggs with milk and orange zest and soak bread in this mixture, turning once after 2 minutes, so it soaks evenly.

Place sugar and orange juice in a pan and boil until syrupy.

Fry soaked bread in the butter, until golden on both sides. Place onto a plate and drizzle with orange syrup.

Christmas cake

I missed last Sunday - the stir-up Sunday, because I was still in Poland. I honestly doubt if I would have made traditional Christmas pudding, however I was really keen to make my own Christmas cake this year. There are hundreds of recipes in internet, cookery books and websites but I decided to use a recipe from "How to be a Domestic Goddess" by Nigella Lawson. I used the basic idea but I have changed the quantities of dried fruits. Click here , for the original recipe. I have made two cakes - one in round 20 cm tin and other in bread tin, based on the third column of quantities.

Today I am going to show baked cake that you have to store in airtight container and feed with brandy every 2-3 days. Traditionally it would be covered with some apricot jam, marzipan and icing just before Christmas, but I am not a big fan of icing so I think I will leave it on its own. Perhaps I will make some icing and decoration for one of them if I decide to give it away. Click here for the decoration ideas.

This cake goes amazingly well with some Real Wensleydale cheese.



500g raisins
600g sultanas
250g mixed peel
200g glace cherries
250g dried cranberries
5-6 pieces of stem ginger, chopped
200ml brandy (or sherry)
300g butter
250g brown sugar
zest of one orange
zest of one lemon
6 big eggs
3 tbsp orange marmalade (I used one with ginger by Tiptree)
500g plain flour
1 1/2 tsp mixed spice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp salt
more brandy to feed the cake over next few weeks

Place all of the fruit in a large bowl and add the brandy. Leave to soak overnight.

Next day preheat the oven to 150C and line baking tin with brown paper.

Cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the orange and lemon zest. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one and then add the marmalade and almond extract.

Sift the dry ingredients together.

Then mix the fruit alternately with the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture.

Put the cake mix into the prepared tin and bake for about 2 hours.

When the cake is cooked, brush with a couple of tablespoons of extra brandy. Cover immediately in a tin foil – this will trap the heat and form steam, which in turn will keep the cake soft on top. Remove the cake from the tin when it is completety cold. Wrap in a paper, secure with some elastic and if needed and store in airtight container, for at least 3 weeks. Remember to feed it with some more brandy every 2-3 days.

Dark chocolate chips & cranberries shortbread

I have made those shortbreads because I was short of chocolate chips and shop is too far away to go for one missing ingredient. I had all of the ingredients for a dough measured in a bowl when I realised that I have not enough chocolate chips in my cupboard. Although I have found some dried cranberries and decided to add them along the chips. The outcome was fantastic and these will replace my lavender shortbread for a long time, Autumn and Winter for sure.

375g plain flour, sieved
250g unsalted butter, diced
125g caster sugar
handful dark chocolate chips
handful dried cranberries

In a bowl mix the flour with sugar and add diced butter. Work with your fingers (or use food processor) to bring the dough together. At the end add chocolate chips and cranberries.

Form the dough into a rolling pin shape (or huge sausage), wrap in cling film and place in a fridge.

Heat the oven to 140C and line a baking tray with some baking paper. Cut the dough into about 7mm thick cookies and place them on the tray, not too tightly. (I bake them in two batches). Bake for about 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and gently transfer onto a cooling rack. These are quite soft when warm so you have to be careful as you can easily break them. Cool down on a wire rack and store up to one week in airtight container.

Banana bread

I like Sophie Dahl. She is pleasant to look at and even if her BBC2 series was not brilliant I have to say I was still watching it because she was there. Never mind the cooking skills that shown her being behind some other celebrity chefs. Never mind the recipes that where not surprising or refreshing. I simply like her.

Do you wonder why? As most women I was always concerned about my weight and way I look. She helped me realised that skinny does not mean pretty and there are normal women that can be a part of the fashion industry. And take great pictures like this one. I was blown away by this picture and after few years still think this is an iconic fashion photo.

Even she is skinnier today I still like to look at her. Perhaps her series was not the best one I have seen and her cooking skills showed that cooking is not the best of her abilities. However I was still watching it with a pleasure. Having some toasted banana bread with butter, relaxing and thinking at the same time: screw skinny! Screw this pressure to fit in small sizes! Enjoy eating. Enjoy life.


Makes 23x13x7cm loaf tin

4 very ripe bananas, peeled
150g brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
75g butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
170g all purpose flour
pinch of salt
pinch of cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda


Preheat the oven to 175°C. Grease the loaf tin with some butter and dust with homemade fine bread crumbs or flour.

Mash the bananas with a fork and add sugar, egg, butter and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl mix the flour with baking soda and cinnamon. Add the flour, mix only until everything is combined - use the fork or spoon rather using a mixer. The batter should not be perfectly smooth - do not over mix it. Pour the batter into the loaf tin and bake for about 60minutes. Remove from the oven, leave it to cool slightly for few minutes, remove from the tin and leave it to cool down on a rack.

Apple & blackberry kuchen

Or cake for butchers. Where do I start where do I begin... It is important to have decent butchers locally. Never mind the usual stuff, but when you are in good relationship with you butchers, they can also supply you with some stuff that they do not normally sell such as pork fat or marrow bones for beef stock. My local butchers are decent lads and they do not charge me anything for some random orders and this is what I have made for them to thank them for their recent help.

This sort of yeast cake with not too sweet base is very popular in Poland (and in Germany as far as I am concerned - Kuchen = cake) all year round using different seasonal fruits. I was bit concerned using Nigella’s recipe, rather than my Granny’s but the outcome was very satisfying.



From "Nigella Bites", makes 20 x 30 Swiss roll tin

For the cake base:

350–400g strong white flour
half tsp salt
50g caster sugar
half packet easy-blend yeast (about 3g)
2 eggs
half tsp vanilla extract
zest of half a lemon
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
125ml lukewarm milk
50g butter, softened

I have placed all of the above in a bread machine and used "dough" programme. At first I used 350g of flour and was adding some more when I noticed that the dough is too sticky. You can use a stand mixer or you hands, adding mixed wet ingredients to dry ones and mixing until you have medium soft dough, then kneading with your hands. Next place the dough into a bowl, cover and leave in warm draft-free place until doubled in size. Or you can leave in a fridge overnight.

Then punch down to release the air and press to line a Swiss roll tin (I lined mine with baking paper) –it needs some stretching. Next leave it for about 15-20 minutes to rest and prove little bit.

Meanwhile prepare the fruits.


Fruits for topping:

1 small Bramley apple
300g blackberries
zest of half lemon

Peel, deseed and chop the apple and toss in a bowl with lemon zest and blackberries. Set aside and prepare the crumble toping.


Crumble topping:

50g self-raising flour
25g ground almonds
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
50g cold unsalted butter, diced
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp demerara sugar
25g flaked almonds


Put the flour, cinnamon and ground almonds in a bowl, stir to combine and add the cold, diced butter. Using your finger tips rub the butter into the dry ingredients, work quickly – you do not want the butter become too soft. Stop when mixture resembles clumpy porridge oats. Fork in the sugars and flaked almonds.

Now prepare mixture that will keep the juices from the fruits soaking into the dough when baking.

1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp of cream
pinch of ground cinnamon

Mix all of the above together and brush over the dough.

Next tumble the fruits over the egg washed dough and then sprinkle with crumble topping. Put in the preheated (200C) oven and bake for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to 180C and cook for further 20 minutes or so, until the dough is swelling and golden and the crumble is set.

Remove from the oven and wait about 5 minutes before cutting into portions. Serve warm or cold.

Blueberry cheescake

There are some typically Polish food specialities that I miss a lot. Perhaps you will think – she lives in UK and there are plenty of Polish delis. Yes, there are, but I have to travel a lot to the nearest one and it does not give me a wide and interesting selection of my favourites, never mind the unprofessional staff.

I miss a curd cheese (twaróg) a lot. I figured out to make my own; it tastes good but different from what I know from Poland. Every time I make my own curd cheese it ends up on homemade bread or I mix it with some fresh herbs, yogurt and vegetables such as cucumber or radishes. This is the reason why I bake cheesecakes using cream cheese rather than a traditional Polish curd cheese. I am not bothered about getting Philadephia, because cream cheese from any supermarkets brands is cheaper and good enough.

I also miss bilberries that grow in Polish woods. I live few miles from a wood but I have never seen any berries in it. So in the summer I try to comfort myself with some blueberries instead. They are very tasty, but not as tasty as bilberries. If I do not have what I love, I have to love what I have.

This cheesecake comforts me when I miss my Polish traditional cheesecake with bilberries. You can use fresh raspberries instead - it also tastes good.

Blueberry cheesecake

Makes round 25cm springform tin


200g Digestive biscuits
80g unsalted butter
800g cream cheese
200g caster sugar
4 eggs
2 tbps custard powder
tsp vanilla extract
juice of half lemon
250g blueberries

Line a springform tin with some kitchen foil, making sure the bottom is protected from water. I bake this cheesecake in bain-marie, which is a type of preparation used for protecting dishes requiring gentle heat from the fierce heat of the oven.

Crush the biscuits in a food processor (or put in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin). Mix with the melted butter. Press into springform tin and place in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Beat the cream cheese with the sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice until light and fluffy. Next add eggs – one egg at the time, mix and add next egg when previous is mixed well with the cheese mixture.

Next add custard powder and mix, but make sure you do not overwork it – stop when custard is mixed into the cheese. Add the blueberries and mix gently with a spatula and pour the mixture into the tin.

Place the tin into an ovenproof dish and fill with hot water (about half of the size of the tin), cover with kitchen foil and bake for about 1 hour. Uncover for last 10 minutes. The middle will be a bit wobbly.

Let it to cool down in the open oven and then transfer to the fridge and leave it overnight.

I serve it with some fresh blueberries on top garnished with fresh mint leaves.

Torta/Tarta de Santiago (Light lemon & almond tart)

Makes 25cm round loose bottom tart dish (you can use round 25cm spring form)

250g ground almonds
180-200g caster sugar
4 eggs
zest of one lemon
pinch of salt
icing sugar to dust
little unsalted butter to brush the dish

Preheat the oven to 180 C.

Separate egg yolks from whites and using a hand mixer beat the whites with a pinch of salt – they should not be too stiff.

In a separate bowl beat the egg yolks together with a sugar and lemon zest until pale.

Gently add the whites to beaten yolks and mix them using a spatula. Try not to overwork this, because it should stay fluffy. You want as little air to be released from the whites as possible.

Next gently mix the ground almonds into the eggs and pour into a buttered dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes. If the top is getting darker, cover with a piece of tin foil.

Let it cool down for about 15 minutes and dust with some icing sugar.

This cake does not rise at all, so do not worry if it is little bit flat.

Kaiserschmarrn - Emperor's omlette

Makes 2

5 eggs
5 level tbsp plain flour
2 tsp sugar
2 big handfuls sultanas
dark rum – enough to cover the sultanas
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp icing sugar
pinch of salt

Soak the sultanas in the rum overnight.

Using a hand mixer beat the whites until not too stiff. In a separate bowl beat the egg yolks with sugar until pale, add flour and mix well. Add the sultanas together with rum (if there is any remaining) to the egg yolks and mix gently.

Next gently fold the egg whites into a mixture and make sure you not overwork it, because it should be light and fluffy.

Melt the butter in a pan then pour the egg mixture into the pan and fry it like an omelette over a low heat. After few minutes check with a spatula if the bottom is golden; if so, turn it upside down and fry on the other side for another minute.

Using a spatula tear the omelette into a pieces and fry until any remaining raw egg is gone.

Serve on the plate sprinkled with some icing sugar.

It also tastes good with fresh seasonal fruits or any fruit preserve.

Rhubarb cake with cinnamon topping

For 25cm round spring form

For the topping

50g brown sugar
100g plain flour
60g melted unsalted butter
handful of almond flakes
15g cinnamon sugar (you can make your own by putting whole cinnamon into a jar of sugar and keep closed for few weeks, instead you can use half tsp of ground cinnamon)

Mix all the above and keep refrigerated.

For the rhubarb filling

600g rhubarb, peeled and sliced into 1cm pieces
1/4 cup of brown sugar
2 tbsp of potato starch (potato flour)
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Mix all the above.

For the base

140g plain flour
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate soda
1/4 tsp salt
90g softened, unsalted buttr
80ml crème fraîche

In a bowl mix all dry ingredients and in a separate one all wet ingredients (eggs, crème fraîche and butter). Add wet mixture to the dry ones and mix using a hand mixer. Dough is quite sticky.

Spread some butter over a spring form and place the dough in it. Flatten it little bit by pressing down using your damp hands. Place the whole rhubarb mixture on it and finish with the topping.

Bake for 75 minutes in 170 C.

Baileys Pound Cake

1 cup caster sugar (I use golden)
5 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup Baileys
1 cup sunflower oil
2 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cocoa
icing sugar, for dusting


Using an electric hand mixer mix the eggs together with the sugar until white and milk shake like. Add the oil and Baileys mixing all the time, then add the flour mixed with the baking powder but not all at once.

Place about 3/4 of mixture in a buttered 25cm round baking tube pan, and mix the remaining mixture with cocoa. Then place it over a previous one in the pan.

Bake in preheated oven (fan 170C) for about 60 minutes. Leave it to cool down, remove from a pan and dust with icing sugar.

Simple chocolate brownies

Inspired by BBC "Good Food" magazine.

Makes 12-16

185g dark chocolate, broken into pieces (I use 70% cocoa solids)
185g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
3 eggs
200g golden caster sugar
85g plain flour, sieved
40g cocoa powder, sieved
100g white chocolate, roughly chopped (you can use milk chocolate or mix both)


Place the butter and dark chocolate in a bowl, and place it over a pan with simmering water. Put over a low heat until the butter and chocolate have melted, stirring occasionally. Leave it to cool down.

Break the eggs into a large bowl and tip in the sugar. Whisk the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, until they look thick, creamy, and milky.

Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the mixed eggs and gently fold together with a spatula in a figure of eight, moving the bowl round after each folding so you can get at it from all sides. Do not be tempted to use a mixer – the idea of putting them together gently and slowly is to not knock out the air from the mixture.

Next in the same way add flour and cocoa powder. It is better to sieve them evenly on the top of the chocolate mixture and then mix in a figure of eight until it looks fudgy.

Add chopped white chocolate into your mixture and stir gently. Pour the mixture into a square 20x20cm tin lined with a baking paper and bake in preheated oven (fan 160C) for about 25 minutes.

The top of your brownie should look like a paper, and middle should not be too wobbly. Turn off the heat, open the oven and leave it to cool down in it. Brownie will continue to cook for few minutes, so it is important to not overcook it in the oven – 25 minutes is enough.

Leave it to cool completely, cut into squares and serve. It tastes better next day.

Parsnip & maple syrup cake

From BBC "Good Food" magazine.

Serves 8

175g unsalted butter
250g demerara sugar
100ml maple syrup
3 large eggs
250g selfraising flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp mixed spice
250g parsnips, peeled and grated
1 medium eating apple, peeled, cored and grated
50g pecans, roughly chopped (if you can get hold of them use walnuts)
zest and juice 1 small orange
icing sugar, to serve (optional - I spread the filling on the top)

The filling:

250g tub mascarpone
3-4 tbsp maple syrup


Heat oven to 180 C. If you want to have a round sandwich cake with the filling you have to use two 20cm round tins and line them with baking paper. I used rectangular 32x19x2cm baking tray lined with paper.

Melt butter, sugar and maple syrup in a pan over gentle heat, then cool slightly. Whisk the eggs into this mixture, then stir in the flour, baking powder and mixed spice. Then add grated parsnip, apple, chopped pecans, orange zest and juice.

Divide between the tins, then bake for 25-30 mins until the tops spring back when pressed lightly. If you use rectangular tray, transfer all mixture into it and bake for approx. 30 minutes. I use wooden toothpick and stick it into a centre of the cake - if it come out dry and clean it means that cake is ready.

Cool the cake slightly in the tin before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely. Just before serving, mix together the mascarpone and maple syrup. Spread over one cake and sandwich with the other. Dust with icing sugar just before serving. Rather than making a sandwich cake I spread the mixture over cooled cake.