Mr. Kipling

 

Obviously our household knows I was seeking out Mr.Kipling's Cherry Almond Bakewell tarts and during the Christmas holidays look what was given to me. When I saw them I had a laugh and so did my son. It was a surprise considering my husband and I looked high and low for them when in London. I will absolutely enjoy and share these sweet treats.

Mocha Cherry Cupcakes

 

What's not to love, deep rich chocolate with hints of coffee and plump cherries enhance this super moist cupcake. I chose not to icing them as I found the cupcake itself was sweet enough for my liking, regardless you may icing or decorate these however you wish. And the lack of icing doesn't make them less enjoyable it just focuses more on the voluptuous cakey bit rather than the sweet icing bit.    

Mocha Cherry Cupcakes

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3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fresh cherries, pitted or frozen pitted cherries or canned pitted cherries, drained, for decorating

icing sugar, for decorating

grated dark chocolate, for decorating

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake papers or silicone baking cups.

In a medium combine and whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, add the eggs, white sugar, brown sugar, olive oil, milk and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. 

Add the flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture and stir until just combined. Spoon batter into lined muffin cups, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Place two cherries on top, they may sink into the cupcake, not to worry. 

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool on a wire rack. There may be a bit of extra batter just repeat baking in lined muffin cups until all the batter is used up.

Once cupcakes are cool. Sprinkle with icing sugar and grated dark chocolate, and gently pierce the top with a piece of dark chocolate. We seemed to have an abundance of Terry's Chocolate Orange Dark in our house so I used those, gently inserting the thin side down of the wedge into the top of the cupcake.   

Cherry Almond Cake

In my efforts to recreate a version of one of my favourites, the Cherry Bakewell, I have come up with this, a less convoluted more simplistic attempt then my previous, not that there is anything delusional about efforts as they may be culinary therapeutic and surprising. Served without icing has its rustic appeal although the buttery richness of this cake, the distinct almond flavour with a hint of cherry and marked by an opaque glazed icing; completes the flavour and essence of the Cherry Bakewell, well for me any way.  

Cherry Almond Cake 

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1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup chopped almonds

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon almond extract

3/4 cup milk

1 can pitted dark cherries, drained and juice reserved

 1 tablespoon lavender sugar from sprinkling over the top

Notes: fresh or thawed frozen cherries may be used in replace of tinned. 

Empire Icing

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1 cup icing sugar

1/4 teaspoon almond flavouring

1 1/2 tablespoons hot water

In a bowl combine all the ingredients until blended and smooth. Icing over cookies or cakes.  

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Lightly grease and flour an 8 inch square baking tin. Line the bottom with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and chopped almonds.

In a large bowl cream the butter, coconut sugar and the white sugar together, then add the two eggs and almond flavouring and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in the milk and once blended, fold in the flour mixture to the creamy milk mixture. Once blended together turn the cake batter into the prepared baking tin. 

Then randomly place the drained cherries on top, gently pressing them into the batter, sprinkle the lavender sugar over the top and bake in the preheated oven for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. 

When done remove from the oven and place on a wire rack and using a toothpick gently pierce the cake several times, then spoon some of the reserved cherry juice over top of the cake and allow to cool. Once cool drizzle with Empire icing, if you wish, and allow to set before serving.      

 

Coconut Cherry Cookies

 

Sweet and chewy and definitely moreish these are unlike some coconut cookies that tend to be a quite crisp and snappy biscuit. The flavours are mellow and linger after each bite. A leisurely diminishing chew that is meant to be appreciated rather than decisively crunched.  

Coconut Cherry Cookies

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makes approximately 36 to 48 cookies 

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract 

1 cup maraschino or glacé cherries, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a baking tray with baking parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add the shredded coconut and stir to combine.

In a large bowl cream together the butter and white sugar. Beat in the eggs and coconut extract and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour mixture then fold in the cherries.

Drop batter from a teaspoon or roll into balls no larger than a walnut and gently flatten with the floured tines of a fork, and place about 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking tray. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Repeat until all the dough has been used.

Classic Cheesecake

With all the variations of cheesecake something can be said about the classic cheesecake. It's scrumptious and stands alone and from which all other flavours of cheesecake are created. Equally so, classic recipes are delightful standbys. 

Classic Cheesecake

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1 1/4 cups graham crumbs

1/4 cup butter, melted

3 packages (250g each) cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

zest of 1 lemon

3 eggs

Heat oven to 350ºF.

Mix graham crumbs and butter together in a bowl; press into the bottom of a lined spring form pan.

In a large bowl beat together the cream cheese, sugar and lemon zest with a mixer until blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over the crust.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until centre is almost set. Run a knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool completely before removing rim. Once cooled, top the cheesecake with a ready made cherry filling and refrigerate cheesecake for about 4 hours. 

Crimson Cocktail

A vibrant and refreshingly sweet but dry cocktail. 

Crimson Cocktail

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makes 1 cocktail

1 1/2 oz Dry Gin

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon Grenadine

Port Wine, for topping up

cherry, for garnish

Place all ingredients into cocktail shaker with cracked ice and shake well. Strain into 3 oz cocktail glass, leaving enough room on top to float 3/4 oz Port Wine. Garnish with a cherry, if you wish.

The temperatures have plummeted and more snow is on the way. Stay warm and have a great weekend everyone! - JD  

Cherry Almond Squares

Like my mincemeat squares these cherry almond squares are equally good and have a subtle bakewell tart taste. 

Cherry Almond Squares

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1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup old fashion rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted
2 teaspoon almond extract
1 can cherry pie filling

Almond Paste:
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1 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 egg


Preheat oven to 350ºF Grease and flour a 9inch square baking tin and line with baking parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine flour, oats, sugar, baking soda, salt, butter and almond extract. Beat with an electric mixer at low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture is crumbly. 
Reserve 1 cup of the crumb mixture; press the remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared tin.

In a medium bowl combine the almond meal, icing sugar and 1 egg. Stir until blended and smooth. Spread the almond mixture on top of the now form crust in the baking tin. 

Open the can of cherry pie filling and spoon the filling over the almond mixture to 1/2 inch of the sides. Sprinkle with the remaining crumb mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for 22 to 30 minutes until golden brown, bubbly and the filling has somewhat set. Cool completely in the baking tin on a wire rack. Cut into squares. 

Marguerite Cocktail

This crisp cocktail is smooth with just a subtle hint of cherry. Classically good, sip after sip. 

Marguerite Cocktail

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makes 1 cocktail

1 1/4 oz Gin

1 1/4 oz Dry Vermouth 

1/4 oz Anisette

3 dashes Orange Bitters

Maraschino Cherry

twist of lemon, optional

Fill a cocktail shaker or mixing glass halfway full with cracked ice. Add the gin, vermouth, anisette, and orange bitters. Stir well.

Add the cherry to a cocktail glass. Strain the mixture into the glass and over the cherry. 

If using a lemon too then, twist the lemon twist over the glass and drop into glass. 

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Gimlet Bengal

Strong with a subtle fruity flavour. A refreshing palette cleanser. 

Gimlet Bengal

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makes 1 cocktail

Gin

Rose's sweetened lime juice

1 large ice cube

1 cherry, green or red

1 think slice of lime

Chill champagne glass throughly. Put in the ice cube and pour gin over it until the ice cube floats. Over that, pour the lime juice, unsweetened will not do, to cover the surface. Add a cherry and a slice of lime. 

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Tuxedo #2

This is a very crisp, neat cocktail that will definitely set your shirt straight.

Tuxedo #2 

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makes 2 cocktails

3 oz dry Gin

3 oz dry Vermouth

4 dashes Orange Bitters

2 dash of Pernod

2 dash Maraschino

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glasses. Add a cherry and a lemon peel, if you wish.  

Have a great weekend and Happy New Year, everyone! - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Raspberry Sour Cherry Squares

This week I have been getting the last of the holiday baking done. Not everyone likes mincemeat squares; so I made these fruit squares using the mincemeat square recipe I posted the other day because the recipe lends for so many variations. I spread seedless raspberry jam over the bottom crust and placed chopped dried sour cherries over the jam; then the crumble over that and baked according to the recipe. A sweet almond taste reminiscent of a bakewell tart. 

Hope everyone is surviving the week... keeping warm and enjoying the few remaining days leading up to Christmas. - JD 

The Aviation Martini

What can one say about a cloudy lemon cocktail bursting with tangy citrus flavour; other than it is like getting a full vitamin C shot in a martini glass. 


Aviation Martini
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makes 3 martinis 

6oz gin
4oz lemon juice
1oz Cherry Liqueur

Pour all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with cracked ice and shake well. Strain into chilled martini glasses. Garnish with a cherry or two! 

Notes: we added a touch of simple syrup to relax the brisk tanginess of this cocktail. 


Have a lovely weekend everyone! - JD 

Piccadilly Martini

In a round about way, this martini is smooth with a strong finish. Definitely worth a sip or two! 

Piccadilly Martini

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Makes 2 martinis

6oz Gin

2oz Dry Vermouth

1oz Pernod

1 dash Gernadine

Pour ingredients into a shaker with cracked ice and shake well. Strain into chilled martini glasses. Garnish with a cherry. 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! As for myself... I will be taking a week off. - JD 

Royal No. 2

The Royal No. 2 is a very smooth cocktail that is both neat and crisp.   

Royal No. 2

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1 ounce dry gin

1 ounce dry vermouth

1 ounce cherry brandy

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass. Add 1 or 2 cocktail cherries, if you wish. 

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

The Dry Lord Suffolk

Normal, you would use a sweet vermouth however we opted to use a dry vermouth, therefore creating a dry Lord Suffolk. This Dry Lord Suffolk packs a punch with playful flavours that go down smooth.

The Dry Lord Suffolk 

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4 oz of gin

1 oz Cointreau

1 oz dry vermouth 

1 oz cherry liqueur
twist of orange peel 

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glasses. Add a twist of orange peel into each glass.  

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Cherry Almond Loaf Cake

From Nigella Lawson's, How to Be a Domestic Goddess, comes this featured recipe. Aromatic almond and plump cherries are mellow in this buttery loaf cake. To me, it is very reminiscent of a bakewell tart and I could see drizzling royal icing over the top when making this cake during the holidays; instead I scattered sliced almonds on top for a bit more flair. 

Nigella Lawson's Cherry Almond Loaf Cake

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Makes 8 to 10 slices

1 1/2 cups natural coloured candied cherries

1 2/3 cups self-raising flour

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened

3/4 cup superfine sugar 

3 large eggs, beaten

2 - 3 drops almond essence

1 cup almond meal

1/3 cup milk

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/gas mark 3/325ºF. Halve the cherries, wash them in a colander under cold water, then pat them dry, toss them in some flour and shake well to get rid of excess.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs and almond essence, then gently fold in the flour and almond meal. Fold in the cherries and then the milk and spoon the thick mixture into a lined and buttered loaf tin (23x13x7cm / 9x5x3 inches) and bake for 3/4 to 1 hour, or until a cake-tester comes out clean.

3. As with all of these sorts of cakes, leave in the tin on a wire rack until completely cooled.

Notes: I had to cook the cake a bit longer than stated in the recipe... ovens vary therefore cooking times may vary. 

For metric measurements and for other Nigella Lawson recipes click *here* 

Hope everyone had a great weekend. - JD 

Making Liqueurs at Home

Summer keeps making an appearance and this quirky cookbook will soothe those summer afternoons and nights with a refreshing and tantalizing liqueur. What could be more gratifying then to serve a homemade liqueur under a summer sunset. Although not all the liqueur recipes in this book are summery. With an estimated 78 recipes there is one for every season and even a few that are quite unique. Like the Green Tomato liqueur or the Artichoke, the Caraway, as in caraway seed, Juniper, Rose, Cantaloupe, and the Green Grape. The possibilities seem endless. 

The author states that he has complied the recipes from his travels to other countries, and contributions are also from family and friends. There is a very brief introduction which talks about liqueurs and how liqueurs are made. This book also suggests that it is inexpensive, fun, and easy to make your own liqueur. On that note, I will share a few recipes from the book to inspire you in possibly making your own liqueur.

RHUBARB LIQUEUR
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1 cup ground rhubarb stalk
1/2 orange, sliced peeled only
6 artichoke leaves
1 cup sugar
1 cup vodka
4 1/2 cups semi dry white wine

Put the rhubarb, orange peel and artichoke leaves with the vodka in a tightly sealed jar for 5 days. Then dissolve the sugar in the wine and add to the contents of the jar. Mix well and let stand for another 5 days. Strain through a colander and cloth into a glass jar and seal tightly. Set aside in a cool, dark place to mature quietly for 2 more months.

The recipe states that "this is an unusual liqueur with a slight tart after taste that is surprising and pleasant. And that it is best served as an aperitif." 


COCONUT LIQUEUR
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2 cups fresh coconut meat
4 coriander leaves
4 juniper berries
2 1/2 cups brandy
1 cup vodka

Cut the coconut into small pieces and add to rest of ingredients in a glass jar. Seal tightly and leave for 3 weeks in a cool, dark place. Gently shake from time to time. Then strain through a paper filter in to a glass jar and seal tightly. Return to the cool, dark place and leave for 3 months.

The recipe states "this is a dry liqueur having a rich bouquet which is touched with the sweet fragrance of the coconut. It is best served after dinner. "


CHERRY LIQUEUR
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2 lbs. sweet cherries
1/2 lemon - sliced, peel only
3 1/2 cups sugar
4 cups dry white vermouth

Pull the stems of half the cherries and cut of the other stems near the fruit. Place all the ingredients in a tightly sealed jar and leave for 1 month, shaking occasionally. Then strain through paper filter into a glass jar and sell tightly. Set in a cool, dark place for 6 months. 

This recipe states that " it is an excellent drink to end a meal."

Hope everyone is having a good week. - JD  

The Cherry Bakewell Tart

For me nothing says Christmas like the bakewell tart. The sweet smell of almonds. The impeccable white cap of icing and the ornate glacé cherry on top. I do not know exactly where or when my love affair with the bakewell tart began... probably from Christmas' past. After years of buying store bought Bakewell's out of shear convenience and thinking anything I made will ever compare. I recoiled from making them. That was until now.  

The bakewell tarts I made, pictured above, are less manufactured and more a reflection of sweet admiration. Easy and simply divine these Bakewell tarts will have one never look at store bought again. Sorry Mr. Kipling...  

 Cherry Bakewell Tart   

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makes about 20 tarts

Filling:

Scant 1/4 cup raspberry jam or strawberry jam

1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter, softened

1/2 cup superfine caster sugar

2 eggs
1/2 cup ground almonds

1/3 cup self-rising flour, sifted 

1 teaspoon almond essence

Icing:
1 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract, pure or imitation is fine

1 tablespoon hot water, approximately

glacé cherries sliced in half 

Pastry Crust:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons cold water 

Mix flour and salt together in a larger bowl. Add the oil and mix with a fork until it looks crumbly, like meal. Sprinkle in the water and mix with a fork. If the pastry is a bit dry  then add more cold water. I find that I need to add about 2-3 more tablespoons of cold water. Gather the dough and press into a ball. Roll out in-between sheets of wax paper.

1. Make the pastry crust. 

2. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Grease a patty/muffin pan(s). I used a non-stick muffin pan therefore I did not need to grease it. Roll out the pastry and cut as many circles, as the patty/muffin tin will hold... 6, 12, 24, using a 3 in/7.5 cm cutter. Use to line the prepared pans and spread a little jam in the base of each. 

3. Beat together the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding half the ground almonds after each one. Add the flour and almond essence and stir well. 

4. Spoon batter into the pastry cases and bake for 20 minutes until well risen, firm and golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pans.

5. Combine the confectioner's sugar, almond extract and enough hot water to make a  thin icing. When the tarts have cooled, spoon the icing over the tops. Decorate each with a  whole glacé cherry or half a glacé cherry.   

Notes: You may use whatever recipe you like for the pastry or even buy ready made tart shells to save time. Again, I used a non-stick muffin pan so I did not need to grease the pan.