Beltane ~ May Day ~ Oatmeal Cake

Beltane / Beltain is the Gaelic May Day festival commonly held on the 1st of May, in the Northern Hemisphere and the 1st of November in the Southern Hemisphere, or about halfway between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. It spans the night of April 31st, May Eve and May 1st, May Day. The May pole is a popular and familiar image of May Day and Beltane and its celebrations. Other names for this celebration are called Roodmas and Walpurgisnacht. 

At this time it marks the peak of Spring and the beginning of Summer. Earth's energies are at their strongest and most active. The trees begin to blossom and leaves begin to grow. Young animals are maturing. Daylight continues to lengthen and strengthen as we move towards summer. All life is bursting... with fertility and conception. The return of vitality to both the earth and sun. The May Queen and May King symbolize the union of earth and sky. Fire is the focus at Beltane, as it is the second fire festival, and Beltane is the Celtic word for bright fire or Fires of Bel. Bel is a Celtic deity.

Foods associated with Beltane are breads and grains, oats, dairy, honey, custard, strawberries, greens and leafy greens. Trees are hawthorn, birch and rowan and colours are green, blue, yellow, pink, red and white. 

Of course there are things you may do to honour Beltane, they are: watch a sunrise, connect with nature, conceive a new project, decorate a tree and branches with colourful ribbons celebrating greenery and trees, collect flowers, make a floral arrangement, daisy chain or a door wreath of greenery and flowers, light a candle or burn incense, braid your hair, dance around a may pole, if you feel inclined or simply create something culinary.

This Oatmeal Cake is absolutely scrumptious and is a lovely Beltane recipe to celebrate and share. No need to worry if you do not have oat flour just replace it with all-purpose flour instead. 

Beltane Oatmeal Cake with Coconut Glaze Icing

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1 cup oatmeal ( old fashion oats will do)

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 cup oat flour 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Coconut Glaze Icing:

6 tablespoon butter ( 85 grams )

1/4 cup evaporated milk

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch rectangle pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper.

Add boiling water to the oatmeal. Stir slightly and let stand for 20 minutes.

In a large bowl mix brown sugar, sugar, and butter until well blended. Stir in the eggs. Add the oatmeal mixture and stir. 

In another bowl combine the flour, oat flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Whisk together. Add the flour mixture to the oatmeal mixture and mix until combined. Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. 

In a small saucepan, melt the butter, sugar, and evaporated milk. Cook until it bubbles and then remove from heat. Add the coconut, walnuts, and vanilla and stir. Pour immediately onto slightly cooled cake. 

Hope everyone enjoyed viewing the Pink Super Moon. It was quite the spectacle. Happy Beltane, May Day, and weekend to all! - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Macaroni and Cheese

 

Spring and Summer are upon us and before we crack on to the lighter meals; comfort food knows no season and still owns a place on our table. It's the reassuring and familiar that make us want to tuck into such a dish as macaroni and cheese over and over again. Additions such as vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower and spinach balance and glorify this classic stodgy meal however sometimes you just want or need the unadulterated cheesy original. 

With the swirl of snow flurries and brisk winds of yesterday gone; we are looking forward to the warmish weekend. Have a nice weekend and stay safe. - JD   

Blueberry Cranberry Crumble Muffins

It seems as though muffins have become the most requested comfort food choice lately. You can understand why, easy snacking, grab and go and delicious. These muffins do not disappoint and the blueberry cranberry combination is tartly and the crumble topping adds a wonderful moreish sweet crunch. 

Blueberry Cranberry Crumble Muffins

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makes 12 muffins

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup light olive oil

1 large egg

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground flax seed 

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

2/3 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

Crumble Topping:

1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons firm butter

Mix flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter and blend together until crumbly. Set aside until ready to use. 

Heat oven to 400ºF. Grease a standard 12 cup muffin tin or line with baking papers.

Make the crumble topping and set aside.

In a large bowl beat the milk, oil and egg together with a whisk. 

In another bowl blend together the flour, ground flax seed, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the blueberries and cranberries to the flour mixture and gently stir, to coat the berries. Create a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour the milk mixture into it. Stir until just moistened; the batter will be lumpy and that's fine.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle each with about 1 tablespoon of the prepared crumble topping. 

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Notes: if baked in greased muffin tin allow to stand for 5 minutes in the tin, then remove from tin to a wire rack; if baked in paper baking cups immediately remove from tin to wire rack.      

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. - JD 

Chocolate Hazelnut Squares

This recipe comes from the One Smart Cookie Cookbook by Julie Van Rosendaal. Some have become familiar with Julie from that book however most recently she has been in the spotlight again highlighting issues with Canadian butter, aka Butter Gate. Yes, I have been noticing some inconsistency with butter recently, that aside, it didn't stop me from trying this recipe and previously buying a bag of hazelnuts on sale was fortuitous. It is hard to believe this recipe is low fat because these squares are luscious and super easy to make. For more information about Julie Van Rosendaal and recipes do visit her website at: dinnerwithjulie.com

Chocolate Hazelnut Squares

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Base:

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup flour

pinch of salt

Topping:

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1/4 cup cocoa 

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a medium bowl, stir together the butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add the flour and salt and stir until well combined and crumbly.

Press into the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch pan sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, until just barely golden around the edges.

In the same bowl (no need to wash it), combine the brown sugar, cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir un til well blended and smooth. Stir in the hazelnuts. Pour over the base and smooth the top. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until the top is slightly puffed and cracked, and looks dry. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Makes 16 squares. 

NOTES: When sharing a recipe from a cookbook, it is typed exactly how it is printed inside the book. With this recipe, the Ingredient list for the base states: "1/4 cup sugar", I assumed this was white sugar, on a quick glance, however when I read the Method or Instructions it states: "In a medium bowl, stir together the butter and brown sugar until creamy." When reading recipes, and I read a lot of them, usually when a recipe just says sugar, it's in reference to white sugar/caster sugar. Brown sugar, like icing sugar (powdered sugar), is always denoted as such. Unfortunately, this was a slight confusion after the fact; as I had already added white sugar. So for the base/crust I used 1/4 cup white sugar.

The cookbook, One Smart Cookie by Julie Van Rosendaal, I have, is a third printing, 2012.    

Sunshine and warm temperatures await. Have a nice weekend everyone! - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Spinach and Feta Quiche

Curating scrumptious meals is a breeze with frozen spinach. Whether its pasta sauce, an addition to a savoury pie or stew, pizza or quiche one has to admit it's a convenient ingredient to have on hand. During the colder months when just about any leafy green may look questionable, frozen spinach is the way to go. This spinach and feta quiche is the perfect Spring time feast on it's own or with a salad. 

Have a lovely weekend and stay safe everyone! - JD 

Golden Coconut Lime Loaf

 

This golden loaf gets its rich colour from the added turmeric and it certainly has all the warmth and glow of Spring and all the sunny disposition, do I dare say, of Summer. A dense loaf, such as this, is lusciously forgiving in what it doesn't have, no eggs, no butter or no oil and no dairy. Trust me, you won't miss those because it is glorious and flavourful.  

 Golden Coconut Lime Loaf

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1 cup (244ml) Almond milk

1/2 cup (161g) maple syrup

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup (85g) coconut flakes, plus extra for decorating 

1 teaspoon vanilla

juice and grated zest of 1 lime 

1 1/2 cups (187.5g) unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon British mixed spice or nutmeg or cinnamon, optional

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a loaf tin and line the bottom with baking parchment paper.

Combine the almond milk, maple syrup, sugar, coconut flakes vanilla and the lime zest and juice together in a large bowl. Whisk together until nicely blended. 

In another bowl mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt turmeric powder and British mixed spice, if using, together well.

Add the flour mixture to the almond milk mixture and gently stir together to form a thick batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf tin and spread evenly. Sprinkle the top with more shredded coconut. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes in the tin and then remove the loaf from the tin and continue to cool completely on a wire rack. Sprinkle with more shredded coconut and finely dried edible flowers before serving. 

We had a lovely relaxing weekend and hope everyone had one too. It's midweek and although the sun seems to be hiding behind the cloud cover the birds are still singing. - JD    

Pears with a Ginger Sponge

I decided to make the Pears with a Ginger Sponge from the Cosmic Cookbook. Even though it required a few steps they came at an ease and before you knew it, the cake was in the oven baking. I feel there could be many interpretations, using different fruit depending on season and availability, of this cake in the future. This recipe does require the use of a scale to measure most ingredients due to how it is presented however by all means you can research and work out the measurement conversions, if you wish. If using tin pears, like did, just drain the liquid from the pears and slice them lengthwise. This cake is also scrumptious with lashing of custard on the second day. 

I am reposting the recipe to possibly entice you to try your hand at this delicious dessert, whether you are an Aries or not, you will not be disappointed.   

Pears with a Ginger Sponge

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serves at least 4 - serve with a lightly whipped cream, flavoured with lemon and sugar.

For the pears: 

2 oz/50g unsalted butter plus extra for the tin

3 large pears

3 oz/75g brown sugar

juice of 1 lemon

For the sponge:

4 oz/125g unsalted butter

4 oz/125g caster sugar

2 eggs

6 oz/175g self raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

4 pieces crystallized or preserved ginger

up to 5 fl oz/150ml milk

Grease an 8 inch/20cm cake tin with butter. Use a tin with a fixed base.

Peel, quarter and core the pears. Slice them lengthwise. Put the brown sugar, butter and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Heat gently to dissolve then boil vigorously for about 5 minutes to make a good syrup. Tightly arrange the pears in concentric circles in the bottom of the cake tin. Pour the syrup over them.

Make the sponge by creaming the butter and sugar until light. Beat in the eggs gradually. Sift in the flour, baking powder and ground ginger. Chop the crystallized ginger and fold into the mixture. Add enough milk to make a dropping consistency. Pour over the pears and bake in a preheated oven at 375ºF/190ºC/Gas Mark 5 for about 60 minutes. 

Test with a skewer. Run a knife round the sides, then turn out and serve while warm.