Other Recipes: Golden Syrup Mincemeat Cake

They do all look a like in fairness.

Yo, Dear Reader, I really meant to take a better photo, but looking at that I’m reminded how much I was doing that week so I magnanimously forgive me, I did say I may have a few recipe that can be adapted or even baked for others as a gift, I ended up being given Guinness and a wealth of lovely jam jars so I made a batch of Porter Cakes, now updated with a recipe that’ll use a full can in one go, it’s very large so be warned, which reminded me of this recipe. I have made a Mincemeat cake before with a recipe from a famous baker that was, it was crummy, Dear Reader, burned too fast and baked too dry, so I just decided to wing my own and use up the golden syrup. Worked a treat and I heard good things back about it. It’s technically a rework of my treacle bread recipe, that is pretty much a third generation recipe, I had thought of it last year, but never had the chance to try it and as this was was a try everything I finally did, Dear Reader. These are simple enough recipes, but at the core is a balance of ingredients and preparation that’ll cause everything to fail if they’re not followed closely enough, you can adjust and probably will, but stray too far and you lose what makes them worthwhile. I’ve just been pressing greaseproof paper squares I cut from a roll into the tins with another tin and it works so well for these heavier cakes. Calling them cakes is odd because they’re more like bread, but only certain kinds of bread. Baking is complex, Dear Reader, but fun. I’ll be back again soon, possibly with more recipes, until then stay safe and take care.

Ingredients

275g Self Raising Flour
100g Golden Syrup
100g Mincemeat
2 Large Eggs (70g-75g in Shell)
50g Marg
50g Sultanas
50g Glace Cherries
25g Caster Sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175c (No Fan). Grease, with Butter, and line a 6×3 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large pot add the Fruit, Marg, Sugar, Mincemeat and Golden Syrup and heat on a medium heat until Marg has melted completely. Let cool.
3. Add the Flour to the cooled Mixture and stir until completely combined. Then beat the Eggs in a jug and add to the mixture. Mix it all together, add Milk as necessary, until a thick pourable Batter has been formed.
4. Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 40-60 minutes, turning halfway if needed, until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean. Cover for the final 10 minutes to prevent top from burning.
5. Cool in tin for 20 minutes, then remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.

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Other Recipes: Golden Syrup Gingerbread Cookies

I didn’t cool as I was rushing, either way will work.

Yo, Dear Reader, I did mention that I might have a few wheat based recipes that I’d share for anyone interested in tweaking to whatever dietary requirements they need, I honestly will say this a lot, but it bears endless repeating: There’s a person behind the screen here and everywhere, we’re doing this work free of charge and on our own time. Be respectful and thoughtful if you’re engaging with anyone, I’ve had a lot of bad people on here, but I know there are many good ones and these posts and the work that goes into them are for them. This one is almost word for word my Buckwheat Cookie recipe, a rework of another if I remember to make it quicker to prepare. The reason I share these is they’re a reminder of how much potential there is in free from baking, even with so many restrictions I have done so much, too much really, but I’m sure there are those like me with a fair bit of experience who can take these recipes and adapt them. I’ve done enough, I’m good at what I do, I’ve been at this over two decades, I enjoy teaching, but too often the anonymity of the internet brings out the worst in people and I am no longer being patient with that. So instead I toss out posts and that’s it. Anyone needs help they can ask, but it’ll be a limited time thing rather than having people ask for help on a recipe that was written ten years ago.

Fast and simple, but popular.

Anyway, sorry for rambling, Dear Reader, but I do want to share this as it makes a lovely cookie, I had three taste testers turn up after they were baked and they got rave review, I had made these before, but the original recipe had the sugars and butter melted and it made the dough a sticky mess. So, I went back as my mother was raving about them nonetheless, the taste was good, but they were too much work to prepare, and fixed them and as they turned out so well and can be tweaked so easily I thought I’d share. I don’t know how common golden syrup is outside of Ireland and the UK, it’s partially inverted refiners syrup I think, but I leave that to anyone looking to remake them. The gingerbread is a fantastic blend I’m going to keep a jar of to hand for future baking, I made a batch of buckwheat pumpkin muffins with dark sugar and this blend and they’re a lovely warm, sweet muffin. I’ll be back again soon, Dear Reader, until then stay safe and take care.

Ingredients

250g Self Raising Flour
1 Tsp Baking Soda
100g Butter/Margarine, Chilled and cut into Chunks
100g Golden Syrup
70g Light Brown Sugar Sugar
1 Medium Egg, Beaten
2 Tbsp Gingerbread Spice Blend
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Optional: 1 Tbsp Grated Fresh Ginger

Makes 18 Cookies.

Method

1. Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.
2. Add the Flour, Sugar, Spice and Baking Soda to a bowl and set aside.
3. Rub the Butter into the Flour Mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs, mix in tghe Golden Syrup, then beat in the Egg and Vanilla Extract, with a fork, until combined. Knead together in the bowl until a soft, sticky dough has been created.

Optional: Form into a ball and leave in the fridge for 20 minutes for easier rolling.

4. Preheat the oven to 175c (Fan). Scoop 1 Tbsp worth of dough and roll into a ball, with wet hands if sticky, flatten onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving an inch between Cookies, and repeat until all dough is used up. Place one tray in the fridge if baking in single batches. Bake for 10-15 minutes until lightly golden and slightly firm to the touch. Let cool on tray for 10 minutes and then remove to wire-rack to cool completely.

Other Recipes: Cider Brack

I’d tidied the tin away and almost thought I’d thrown it out.

Yo, Dear Reader, currently it’s cold and snowing a little so I’m stuck waiting around to get back to the garden proper, I haven’t had any luck sourcing anything drastically new and I honestly haven’t had the motivation to eat beyond what I usually do, just do that can be a struggle these days, still I will always be someone who feeds others and here I am again making someone eat something in my stead, I haven’t had feedback yet, take hat as you will, but I can stand by the recipe quality, it’s again a variation on the Tea Brack recipe, which is a lighter counter to the porter cake variations, all these are mostly me thinking about future markets and keeping my skills fresh.

You can see it get a good rise, but remember it’s densely packed with fruit, if you want tall think thinner tins.

So, cider, not just any cider, Dear Reader, no, no, from what I’ve been reading it’s awful…what? I could lie, but when baked it’s incredible, I don’t drink, never have and never will, but baking with this is pretty much just thinking through a substitution, I’m replacing the fruity tea with apple cider and what better than cinnamon and vanilla to pair with that, I kept the citrus zest to give it that fruity punch and kept the sugar white as to avoid making it too dark in flavour, suits the porter, but I don’t think it’d go with the cider, but as I always say it’s up to you to try out, Dear Reader. This was just something I was curious about and as I had been given round cake liners, the real non-stick kind, I made it in a round tin, but whatever you have at hand is fine. I changed the recipe slightly so the fruit would be better coated and the sugar slightly more dissolved, but it remains pretty straightforward. Naturally these are the recipes that will go horribly wrong with any misinformed changes, there’s no room to hide mistakes and it’s easier to follow along a few times until you get the understanding of how each component affects the end result. I’ll leave it to rest a few days and pass it on. That’s it from me for a while, I’m bored again and I have more than enough recipes gathered. I’ll be back again, Dear Reader, until then stay safe and take care.

Ingredients

225g Self Raising Flour or 225g Plain Flour and 1 & 3/4 Tsp Baking Powder
300ml Cider
185g Sultanas
185g Raisins
125g Caster Sugar
1 Egg, Beaten
Zest from 1 Lemon and 1 Orange
Pinch of Cinnamon
Dash of Vanilla

Method

1. Place Fruit and Zest in a bowl and add Cider then mix well. Let soak over night in the fridge. Take out a while before starting to let it reach room temperature.
2. Add Sugar, Vanilla and Egg to a jug and beat together, in another bowl mix Flour, Cinnamon and the Soaked Fruit. Make sure to coat the Fruit well with the Flour to prevent sinking. Then stir in the Egg mixture until everything has combined.
3. Transfer to a greased and lined tin and baked in a pre-heated oven at 175c (No Fan) for 50-60 minutes or until firm to the touch and cooked through.
4. Let cool in tin for 15 minutes then transfer to a wirerack to cool completely. Once fully cool wrap in greaseproof paper and rest for two days before cutting.

Other Recipes: Pate Brisee/Rich Shortcrust Pastry

Coming off from this recipe, read that first.

Yo, Dear Reader, this time I’m in pretty familiar territory, the biggest different between this pastry and others I have is that it is absurdly butter, so much so you have to be extremely careful not to melt it as you prepare the dough, as you can see it is strong, but it’s very flaky so you might want to adjust it a lot more if you’re making a gluten free version. There isn’t a lot you can say outside of the usual with pastry. Work fast, have things ready before you even take it out of the fridge and remember that over working will make it elastic and spoil the flaking caused by the butter melting between the layers. It isn’t puff pastry, but it’s closer than shortcrust usually is. Not much to say on this one, Dear Reader, I’ll be back again later so until then stay safe and take care.

Ingredients

185g Plain Wheat Flour
2 Tsp Caster Sugar
160g Butter, very cold, cut into cubes
4 to 6 Tbsp Ice Cold Water

Method

1. Sieve the Flour into a bowl, then add the Sugar.
2. Add the Butter and mash together with hands until it forms a lumpy, dry mixture.
3. Add a Tbsp of Cold Water and mash together with fork. Keep adding Water and mixing until the Dough holds it’s shape when pinched together.
4. Form into a flat disc, do not knead too much, and place in fridge for 15 minutes.
5. Grease the baking tin with Butter and scatter with Flour.
6. Let the Dough rest out of the fridge for a few minutes then roll out the Dough into a circle and place over the baking tin.
7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 180 (No fan), then rest in tin until cool.

Other Recipes: Crème Patissiere/Pastry Cream

These are really old photos, it’s difficult to even find them.

Yo, Dear Reader, feels like I forgot about these, doesn’t it, they take a little more work than it seems. Most of them are recipes that are guaranteed good, but that I haven’t made in nearly a decade. It’s like a snapshot from the fat days or a cookery book you don’t have to pay for, as with all these how they’re adapted and if they can be is up to you, I’m just glad the work is still finding an audience after all these years. They took a lot of work to write up, I thought of myself in years reading the recipes and imagined how best to guide myself through them with the language I was using.

So, I made this because I wanted a banana cream pie and accidently ended up with an elaborate French style dessert. I can’t say it’s French, might be an insult to the French, Dear Reader, but it was far beyond what a banana cream pie would normally be. It’s a more advance version of the usual custard made with cornflour, it’s rich and smooth and dense. It’s an amazing recipe, it is very involved and you need to follow it to the letter to get the smooth velvety result, it may be possible to make it gluten free, but as I say, Dear Reader I leave that in your hands. Not much I can say, this is one of a pair so I’ll get the other ready too and post that alongside this. See you in a moment.

Ingredients

1 Cup/240ml Milk
4 Egg Yolks
100g Caster Sugar
50g Plain Wheat Flour
45g Butter (Cut in small pieces)
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Method

1. Place Egg Yolks in mixing bowl and beat on medium speed with electric mixer, gradually adding Sugar. Beat for 2 minutes, until mixture is thick and lemon colored.
2. Beat in Flour
3. In a heavy saucepan heat Milk to near boiling.
4. With mixer on low speed, gradually add the Hot Milk.
5. Transfer mixture to heavy saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, mixture should start to thicken gradually and will be slightly lumpy. Let mixture come to a boil and boil for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl.
6. Beat in Butter with electric mixer a little at a time until all lumps are gone, then Stir in Vanilla extract. Cover with cling film and let mixture cool.

Other Recipes: Sugar Free Chocolate Cupcakes

Giving someone a hand with Christmas baking. Sugar Free Rocky Road too.

Yo, Dear Reader, I ended up baking quite a bit today, funnily when I was making the chocolate cupcakes/muffins I hadn’t the recipe to hand so I adapted the original on the fly and managed to imitate myself exactly, brains are amazing. This was tested by a few people and they really liked it, the main goal was to disguise the sweeteners aftertaste and to give a little body and rise without the sugar. The chocolate is naturally going to disguise, I actually used Guinness in the cupcakes above instead of milk, you get a slightly richer taste that way, and the apple gives the life and spring, though it does make them slightly denser. Without the Guinness this could probably be made gluten free without much fuss, but as I’ve said Dear Reader, this is just me sharing recipe that’ll need more work on your end, but which may still be beneficial to someone passing through. If I’m baking again, not that I feel like it right now, I may do something with cider and these. For myself I make a batch of Scones for freezing and make waffles fresh, usually daily, as a bread alternative, I’m using a slightly tweaked Mochi Pancake batter these days, I find I have trouble swallowing and the sweet rice flour helps. Not much happening as I’m using the same ingredients I have for years, there are only so many combinations within my own restrictions, hence me sharing these recipe that may inspire if nothing else. Until next time, Dear Reader, stay safe and take care.

Ingredients

125g of Self Raising Flour
2 Large Eggs
100g Butter
Equivalent to 100g Sugar in Sweetener of Choice
100g Unsweetened Apple Puree
75g Sugar Free Chocolate
30ml Milk
2 Tbsp/30g Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175C (Fan)
2. In a Microwave melt Butter and Chocolate in a jug. Add Vanilla, Apple Puree and Sweetener and set aside.
3. Measure out Flour and Cocoa Powder and set aside.
4. In a mixing bowl beat Eggs until mixed and mix in Butter and Chocolate mix until fully incorporated.
5. Sieve Flour and Cocoa Powder into the centre of the Egg mixture then fold together with a metal spoon. Don’t over mix, if lumpy thats ok. Mixture should be slighty thick, but should still run off the spoon. Add Milk until desired consistency is achieved.
6. Spoon mixture into bun cases, about 3/4 full, and put in oven for 20 minutes or until firm and a skewerinserted comes out cean. Remove and let cool in tin for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire-rack.

Other Recipes: Potato Scones

Made these as a sugar free alternative for someone who likes potato and because I was curious.

Okay, Dear Reader this should be the last of the market recipes, I still have a lot of my old recipes to dump up into the new section, but they can wait for lulls in the site, these are a pretty quick and simple recipe, something a little more bread like than a scone, but nothing all that thrilling, naturally you could pair it with various chutneys and condiments, but as it’s isn’t something I can eat I can’t really advise. I just wanted to share. I can happily report that despite a rough start the market was a knock-out success, it’s just a one off sadly, but I’ll be ready whenever the chance arises again. I learn something every time, Dear Reader, whether it be a new recipe, a better way of baking them or what people want to buy, even how to best sell them. As I always say the recipe here are free, always will be, but they take work to post to write up so I always take he time to remind myself that I’ve done enough. I’m going to take a break on the Other Recipe section for a while, probably not all that long, this should be the last posted unless I get my draft order mixed up. I hope someone out there will find something useful in this. All the proceeds from the market, after paying all helpers naturally, will be put towards next year’s garden, which in time will likely supply ingredients for the next. That’s it for me, Dear Reader, Ill be back to normal soon and until then stay safe and take care.

Ingredients

225g Self Raising Flour
175g Mashed Potatoes
50g Butter/Margarine
Salt and Pepper To Taste

Optional

Pinch of Mixed Herbs
Finely Chopped Green Onion

Method

1. Preheat the over to 200c (Fan) and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. In a large bowl add the Flour, Salt and Black Pepper and rub in the Butter until an even crumb has been formed. Add spring onions and mixed herbs, if used.
3. Mix in the Mashed Potato and enough Milk to make a soft dough.
4. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from tray and transfer to a wire-rack to cool.

Other Recipes: Wholemeal Scones

Excuse the photo, things were hectic today.

A quick scone recipe today, Dear Reader, I made these for the market, but also a try out for someone who can’t have sugar, two people actually, they both loved them and one wanted more of them. I also made a batch with nuts and fruit. They’re really simple, not much to say, the buttermilk gives a great rise and a soft centre, still surprising how light the wholemeal flour can be. They have no egg so the dough will crack slightly, nothing major, but don’t try to correct to much or you’ll over work the gluten and make the scones tougher. I’ll likely be finished with the market by the time this is posted, let’s hope things go well, Dear Reader. Okay, I’ll be back again soon, until then stay safe and take care.

Ingredients

175g Coarse Wholemeal Flour
175g Plain Flour
200ml Buttermilk
50g Butter/Margarine
1 Tsp Baking Soda
Pinch of Salt

Method

1. Preheat the over to 200c (Fan) and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. In a large bowl add the Flours, Salt and Baking Soda and rub in the Butter until an even crumb has been formed.
3. Add in the Buttermilk, a little at a time, and stir together with a fork until a slightly sticky dough has been formed. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gentle knead together until a workable dough has been formed. Flatten to about an inch thickness and cut out rounds placing them on he tray until dough has been used up. Optional: Brush with Milk or Egg Yolk to glaze the tops.
4. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from tray and transfer to a wire-rack to cool.

Other Recipes: Guinness Brack

Extra Guinness was bought for something else that fell through, but it worked out.

How many recipes is this, Dear Reader? My drafts are stuffed and it just keeps coming, ah well, they may be useful to someone someday. So, what is Guinness Brack? Well, it’s…umm…you know…a modified Tea Brack that turned out really well. I saw so many chocolate cake recipes, but nothing more in the vein of traditional Irish recipes so here we are, a loaf filled to bursting with Guinness soaked fruits. I don’t use mixed peel because I always hated it, in the tea brack I used fresh zest, but here I omitted it because I feel it’d jar. I used brown sugar to better match the Guinness, I actually used Apple Pie Spice instead of the usual mixed spice,, it has a different balance, stronger in some ways, but it works out well in these recipes, really worked in the porter cake. The aforementioned friend, or depending when I post this the mystery friend, loved it and could really identify every spice. These need resting before cutting so plan ahead, there isn’t much to do wrong, but there’s also no place to skip a step or to guess at improvisations, just make sure the fruit is well coated so it won’t sink. Okay, Dear Reader, I’m working my way through my backlog of posts, they’ll pop up at  different points on the blog so hopefully they won’t cause any confusion. I’ll see you again later, Dear Reader, until then stay safe and take care.  

You can top with Walnuts if you’d like. This is obviously a big recipe if you double it like I did.

Ingredients

225g Self Raising Flour or 225g Plain Flour and 1 & 3/4 Tsp Baking Powder
300ml Guinness
185g Sultanas
185g Raisins
125g Light Brown Sugar
1 Egg, Beaten
Pinch of Mixed Spice

Method

1. Place Fruit in a bowl and add Guinness then mix well. Let soak over night in the fridge. Take out a while before starting to let it reach room temperature.
2. Add Sugar, Egg, Flour and Mixed Spice and mix with a wooden spoon until everything has combined. Make sure to coat the Fruit well with the Flour to prevent sinking.
3. Transfer to a greased and lined tin and baked in a pre-heated oven at 175c (No Fan) for 50-60 minutes or until firm to the touch and cooked through.
4. Let cool in tin for 15 minutes then transfer to a wirerack to cool completely. Once fully cool wrap in greaseproof paper and rest for two days before cutting.

Other Recipes: Guinness Brown Bread

Sorry about the lighting, it was evening and I am busy. Heh.

I’ve lost track of where I am with most of these recipes, some are new, some are tweaks, some are just a befuddled mess currently floating around in my head, I’ll get there, Dear Reader, wherever there is. This one is an oddity, it’s far too simple and rough to be as good as it is, but three people absolutely loved it, no feelings spared if it was awful here, Dear Reader, you’d imagine it’d be tough and a little dry, but it’s springy and has a very complex taste. A friend with experience in baking tried it and couldn’t get over it, the walnuts and Guinness are a match made in heaven when you combine them with the Wholemeal flour. This is one of the recipes that can’t really be adapted to gluten free because of the Guinness, though there may be a gluten free porter out there, I honestly have no idea. But, if like me, this isn’t something you can eat you might be able to use the ideas therein for something or even to make it as a gift. I have far more to type up, Dear Reader, so I’ll get to that, until later stay safe and take care.

Ingredients

450g Coarse Wholemeal Flour
400ml Guinness
60g Demerara Sugar
50g Butter/Margarine
40g Chopped Walnuts
15g Treacle
2 Tsp Bread Soda

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180c (No Fan) and Grease and Flour a 2lb loaf tin.
2. Melt the Butter and Treacle in a sauce pan.
3. While the Butter melts mix the Flour, Sugar, Walnuts and Bread Soda in a large bowl.
4. When the Butter has melted add the Guinness and stir to combine. Add to the Flour mixture and stir everything together until well mixed.
5. Scoop into prepared tin and baked for 40-50 minutes, turning partway if necessary, the bottom should sound hollow when tapped when the Bread is ready. Turn out onto a warm tea towel and wrap. Let it cool inside the tea towel.