(This recipe for cranberry, orange & ginger mincemeat was also featured on Getrealirishtours.com)
When I made this cranberry, orange & ginger mincemeat , the house was instantly transformed by the festive smells. People were trickling into the kitchen and even the collection of ingredients piled on the table spoke of the warmth and familiarity of a traditional Christmas. This recipe is, however, a twist on a classic, using the tart cranberry flavour in fresh and dried forms to offset the sweetness of the orange and other dried fruits. Cranberries are so delicious and I need to use them as much as I can during their short season! I can’t resist dried figs either – they are such a luxurious touch, especially when they are all bathed together in cherry brandy. The Christmas smells really come from the aromatic fresh ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg.
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Category Archives: My Recipes
These are recipes that I have changed or invented, with step by step instructions and pictures.
Chocolate Filled Buttermilk Pancakes
Chocolate filled buttermilk pancakes represent the perfect balance of tangy and sweet for me. While pancakes topped with chocolate sauce are certainly good, nothing beats a liquid gooey chocolate centre. Why stop at chocolate? Filled with peanut butter or caramel or fruit or jam, they are also delicious. Continue reading →
Spiced Red Velvet Bundt Cakes
Having bought mini bundt tins, Spiced Red Velvet Bundt Cakes with Baked Cream Cheese Filling seemed like an obvious option. Yes, I know, I am a little obsessed with red velvet cake, but these little beauties will help you understand why. The hint of cinnamon really emphasised the chocolate flavour while the characteristic light crumb melted on your tongue. Throw in the excitement and luxury of a baked cream cheese filling and you’re onto a winner.
Courgette, Lemon & Elderflower Drizzle Cake
Courgette, Lemon & Elderflower Drizzle Cake really is a delicious treat. The combination of courgette, lemon and elderflower in a cake is one that I hope will appeal to gardeners! I grew up on an organic farm and the realities of seasonal foods were an everyday normality for me. More than that, the relationship between the soil and the land around me with the food I ate was a natural and obvious connection. I believe that my interest in cooking stemmed at least in part from a desire to find ways to use up a glut of that eggs or make something of the crab apples growing in the hedgerows.
Crystallising Flowers and Petals
Crystallised flowers and petals are the perfect decorations I think. They have the simplicity and beauty of nature, with a little touch of glamour. Sometimes I like to just scatter the unadulterated petals on top of a cake…I love vivid pink against a dark chocolate cake, but often this gentle process of crystallising flowers and petals is the perfect finishing touch to a baked delight.
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Cranberry, Orange & Ginger Mincemeat
(This recipe for cranberry, orange & ginger mincemeat was also featured on Getrealirishtours.com)
When I made this cranberry, orange & ginger mincemeat , the house was instantly transformed by the festive smells. People were trickling into the kitchen and even the collection of ingredients piled on the table spoke of the warmth and familiarity of a traditional Christmas. This recipe is, however, a twist on a classic, using the tart cranberry flavour in fresh and dried forms to offset the sweetness of the orange and other dried fruits. Cranberries are so delicious and I need to use them as much as I can during their short season! I can’t resist dried figs either – they are such a luxurious touch, especially when they are all bathed together in cherry brandy. The Christmas smells really come from the aromatic fresh ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Crumble Mincepies
These crumble mincepies are a combination of short Clementine flavoured pastry, moist fruity mincemeat and a nutty crumble topping. They make a change from the traditional pastry enclosed mince pies that we are used to having around Christmas.
Clementine Shortcrust Pastry
Most things are improved by being clothed in pastry, and this Clementine shortcrust pastry adds an extra layer of flavour. This recipe can be varied by using other citrus fruits such as lime or lemon, but Clementine is a lovely festive twist. I use it to make my mincemeat crumble pies.
Citrus fruit works really well because the acid in the juice makes the pastry even crumblier while the zest is loaded with natural oils which flavours the pastry without upsetting any of the proper ratios of the recipe. Continue reading →
Mango and Lime Curd
Rhubarb and White Chocolate Blondies
Rhubarb and White Chocolate Blondies: Small dense pale coloured cakes. It’s cousin, the brownie often takes all the glory, but a blondie has an almost butterscotch quality that is so delicious. Rhubarb and White Chocolate Blondies are particularly good. Alongside the chewy sweetness of the white chocolate, the tart lime and rhubarb and the warmth of the spices, these are gorgeous. I actually think these are some of the tastiest things I have ever made. As often is the case, they are also really easy to make.
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‘Almost Healthy’ Sticky Toffee Pudding
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