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Ginger, Lime and sesame cupcakes

| adamcockle

sesamecupcakeblog2

So I had a little epiphany while watching The Great British Bakeoff.  When it comes to savoury cooking I’m quite adventurous with my use of flavours and techniques, but when it comes to sweets I tend to stick to the traditional – your chocolate, coffee and citrus.  Now while there is nothing wrong with the classics, I felt it was time to give my cupcakes a twist (oo-er) and try something new.  This recipe was inspired by the contents of my cupboards and being too lazy to go the the supermarket.

Ingredients:

For the sesame brittle:

  • 1/2 cup caster sugar
  • 1tbsp honey
  • 1/2 cup sesame seeds
  • Pinch of salt

For the cake:

  • 3 medium eggs (separated)
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
  • 1/2 cup of sour cream
  • 1/2 cup of melted butter (left to cool to room temperature)
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tsp ground ginger

For the sugar syrup:

  • 1/2 cup caster sugar
  • 1/2 cup lime juice (juice of 4 or 5 fresh limes)
  • 4 – 5 ‘disks’ of fresh ginger (you can leave the skin on)

For the icing:

  • 125g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
  • 250g icing sugar
  • 3 – 4tbsp sugar syrup

Method:

For the sesame brittle:

Put the sugar and honey in a pan and heat on medium high until the sugar has melted and turned golden and bubbly.  Be patient and resist the temptation to stir, you can ‘swirl’ the contents of the pan from time to time.  Stir in the sesame seeds and salt and pour immediately onto a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper.  Leave aside to cool.  Once cooled, bash the brittle in a pestle and mortar to create a sugary, sesame crumble.

For the syrup:

Put all the ingredients in a pan and leave to bubble away on a medium high heat until reduced by half.  Leave aside to cool.

For the cake:

Preheat your oven to 180c.

Beat the egg whites in an electric mixer with the whisk attachment until firm and dry.  In a separate bowl mix together the egg yolks, sugar, lemon, yogurt and butter.  Add the flour to the egg yolk mixture along with the ginger, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and stir to combine.  Finally fold in the egg whites with a metal spoon until the mixture is uniform in colour.  Transfer the mix into cupcake cases in a cupcake tray (about a tablespoon of batter per cupcake). Bake for about 12 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre of each cake comes out clean.  Remove the cakes from the tray and place on a wire rack.  While the cakes are still warm, drizzle on a tablespoon-full of lime and ginger syrup.

For the icing:

Put the butter in an electric mixer and beat on high speed using the blade attachment.  Once smooth, add in the icing sugar a bit at a time and continue to mix until the sugar is incorporated.  With the mixer still running add in the syrup and continue to mix for a few minutes.

To finish:

Sprinkle a layer of the crumbled brittle onto a plate or baking sheet.  Spoon a generous dollop of icing onto each cake.  Dip the cake into the sesame brittle so that the icing is all coated.

I served these exotic little beauties with a steaming cup of oolong tea (it seemed a fitting combination).

sesamecupcakeblog

Confetti Blends: Citrus Salt

| adamcockle

citrussalt

As I continue on my journey to becoming a proper kick-ass cook, one of the things I’ve learned is the importance of seasoning.  I feel that, perhaps, its becoming a little bit untrendy to add salt to your food in recent years.  I’m not sure if this is a health thing or what – but I can say with great confidence that I am not jumping on board the no-salt train.  The no salt-train only leads to one destination, and that is Blandsville.

So – salt away my friends, don’t feel guilty for reaching for that little tub of sea salt.  Season at every stage of your dish and taste, taste, taste!

And what easier way of adding a bit of extra pizzazz to a dish than to sneak it in along with the salt, and what better way to bring us to the point of this blog – Citrus Salt.  I am an admitted fruit-o-phobe, my greatest nightmare is finding fruit in places it has no right to be – imagine my horror at discovering a raisin lurking in a curry dish, and don’t get me started with pineapple on pizza! But citrus fruits? Oh my. Manna of the gods.  Friend of of all creatures of the sea.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large orange
  • 2 plump lemons
  • 3 juicy little limes
  • 100g sea salt (I used Cornish Sea Salt)

Gadgets:

  • Spice grinder (I used my beloved Krups)

Method:

Remove the peel from your miscellaneous citrus beauties using a small, sharp paring knife.  Try to avoid the bitter white pith as much as possible and aim for long strands of peel.

Place your peelings on a large baking sheet and pop in a low oven (I went for about 80c) for an hour or two until everything has become stiff and dry, peak into the oven regularly to make sure nothing is burning.  Remove from the oven and leave on some clean kitchen paper for a day or two to complete dry out.

Whiz the peel in your spice grinder to form a fine golden powder.  Add a tablespoon or two of salt and whizz for a few more seconds.  Mix the ground salty peel with the remaining salt and voila!

Sprinkle liberally on seafood and veggies.

citrussaltblog42

Lemon loaf cake

| adamcockle

 drizzleblog

One of the problems when you’re a prolific baker is when your work colleagues find out, and demand to be provided with baked treats on a weekly basis.  This lemon loaf cake is simple and delicious and ideal for transporting and portioning.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

  • 3 medium eggs (separated)
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
  • 1/2 cup of yogurt
  • 1/2 cup of melted butter (left to cool to room temperature)
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • zest of 1 lemon

For the icing:

  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 100 – 150g icing sugar

Method:

For the cake:

Preheat your oven to 180c and grease and line a 900g loaf tin.

Beat the egg whites in an electric mixer with the whisk attachment until firm and dry.  In a separate bowl mix together the egg yolks, sugar, lemon, yogurt and butter.  Add the flour to the egg yolk mixture along with the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and stir to combine.  Finally fold in the egg whites with a metal spoon until the mixture is uniform in colour.  Transfer the mix into the cake tin and bake for approx. 40mins until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.  Remove the cake from the tin and leave on a wire rack to cool.

For the icing:

Put the lemon juice in a bowl and gradually whisk in the icing sugar until you have achieved a thick but pourable texture.  Drizzle generously and haphazardly over the cooled cake.  Leave until the icing has set and then cut into thick slices.  Feed to your grateful workmates for immediate brownie points (lemon cake points?).

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Warm bulgur wheat salad with yogurt dressing

| adamcockle

bugurblog

Despite what the British weather would lead you to believe, it is – in fact – summertime.  There is no better summer teatime treat than this fresh, herby, zesty salad recipe.

Ingredients:

For the salad:

  • 200g bulgur wheat
  • 100g green beans (trimmed)
  • 100g asparagus (woody ends chopped off)
  • 1 large courgette
  • A generous handful or two of fresh herbs (I used chives and parsley)
  • Zest of one lemon
  • Pinch of dried chilli flakes
  • 1tbsp butter
  • Salt and pepper to season

For the dressing:

  • 5tbsp full-fat yogurt (I used greek style)
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 1tsp English mustard
  • 1tsp maple syrup
  • Salt and pepper to season

Method:

For the dressing:

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.  Cover and pop in the fridge to get nice and cold.

For the salad:

Preheat your oven to 180C

Put the bulgur wheat in a large bowl and cover with boiling water (so that there is about an inch of water above the level of the wheat).  Add a pinch of salt and stir together.  Cover and leave aside for about 15mins.  After this time the grains should have plumped up but still have a nutty bite.  Drain off any excess water and leave aside in a sieve or colander for the remaining liquid to evaporate.

Meanwhile, place the butter in a large frying pan set to a medium high heat.  Once the butter starts to sizzle, pop in the lemon zest and chilli flakes and stir together for a moment or two.  Add the drained bulgur wheat to the pan and stir together for a few minutes until the butter has been absorbed and the grains start to crackle and pop.  Transfer the bulgur wheat to a clean bowl.  Finely chop the herbs and mix in with the warm bulgur wheat.

Dice the vegetables into bite-sized pieces and place on a large baking tray.  Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.  Pop in the oven for about 10 – 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender and then stir together with the bulgur wheat.

Serve warm with a drizzle of cold yogurt dressing.  I had my salad with some simple panfried chicken breast on the side.

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BMT Spaghetti (Bacon, mackerel, tomato)

| adamcockle

bmtblog2

I don’t know about you, but my shopping can be a little . . . chaotic.  Most of the time I go to the supermarket with no idea what I’m going to buy, or what meals I’m going to make in the week.  I tend to grab items at random, and hope that it all comes together into something delicious when I get to the kitchen.  This recipe is the product of one such shopping trip.

Ingredients:

  • 200g spaghetti (I used wholewheat)
  • Packet of cherry tomatoes (about 300g)
  • 4 rashers bacon (I used smoked streaky)
  • Pinch of chilli flakes
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1tbsp butter (or my citrus and herb compound butter)
  • 4 pre-cooked mackerel fillets
  • Parmesan cheese to finish

Method:

Set your pasta cooking by following the instructions on the packet.

Chop the bacon into fine strips (I use scissors for this) and fry in a large frying pan, adding a little bit of oil if you need to.  Once the bacon starts to turn golden around the edges, halve the tomatoes and add them to the pan.  Fry on a medium-high heat until the tomatoes have released their juices and the pan looks dry.

Add the chilli, butter and lemon juice and continue to cook until the lemon juice has sizzled away.  Remove the skin from the mackerel fillets and flake them into the pan.  Stir everything gently together, trying not to break up the pieces of mackerel. Drain your pasta and add to the pan, stirring together with the sauce for a minute until everything is well coated.

Serve with a generous grating of parmesan cheese.

bmtblog

Mince and gravy with herby, cheesy dumplings

| adamcockle

minceblog3

Here the mince and gravy (though delicious) play second fiddle to the moist, cheesy, herby dumplings.  This recipe also features the first appearance of my patented (not really) ‘oomph’ that I love to add to all sorts of soups, sauces and stews.

Ingredients:

For the mince and gravy:

  • 750g beef and pork mince (or just beef if you prefer)
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 stick of celery
  • 300g baby button mushrooms
  • 2 large carrots
  • 2tbsp plain flour
  • 500ml beef stock
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the oomph:

  • 4tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1tbsp maple syrup
  • 1tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 or 2 bay leaves
  • 6 to 8 peppercorns

For the dumplings:

  • 100g self-raising flour
  • 50g of butter (cold from the fridge)
  • 25g grated cheese (I used a mature English cheddar)
  • 1tbsp chopped parsley
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 – 2tbsp milk

Method:

For the oomph:

Put all the ingredients in a small pan and cook on a medium high heat until the liquid has reduced to about two tablespoons. Drain through a sieve to remove the peppercorns and bay and leave aside until later.

For the mince and gravy:

Heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan.  Finely chop the onion and celery and add to the pan along with a good pinch of salt and pepper.  Stir regularly until the onion is just starting to turn a bit golden.  Peel and chop the carrots into generous chunks and add to the pan along with the mushrooms.  Stir together until everything looks glossy and the mushrooms are staring to colour.  Transfer the onions, mushrooms and vegetables into a large saucepan.

Put a drop more oil in the recently vacated frying pan and add the mince along with another good pinch of salt and pepper.  Brown the mince on a high heat until the pan starts to look dry and then sprinkle in the flour.  Stir thoroughly for a minute or two until the flour is incorporated and then transfer the mince to the saucepan to join the onions and vegetables.  Add the stock to the saucepan.  Ideally you want the mince and vegetables to be just covered so add a little bit of water at this point if you have to.  Add the oomph.  Cover and simmer on a medium-low heat for a couple of hours until the mince is melting and tender (you can also pop your mince and gravy into a low oven if you prefer).

For the dumplings:

Start making your dumplings once your mince and gravy is ready.  Put the flour in a bowl and add in the cold butter cut into small chunks (or grated).  Rub the butter and flour together for a few minutes until the mixture resembles course bread crumbs.  Stir in the salt, cheese and parsley.  Add the milk a little at a time and stir until the mixture comes together in a firm but sticky lump.  Form your dumpling mixture into little balls (I made about 10 golfball sized dumplings) and plop them in with the mince and gravy.  Do not crowd the dumplings as they will plump up as they cook.  Put the lid on the saucepan and continue to cook on medium-low heat for 12 minutes.

Serve generously in big bowls and ideally with a nice bottle of beer or glass of hearty red wine.

minceblog2 minceblog

Crumble pancakes

| adamcockle

pancakeblog2

Ingredients:

For the pancakes:

  • 3 eggs
  • approx. 180g self-raising flour (see below)
  • 3tbsp caster sugar
  • 1/2tsp baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 1tbsp melted butter or oil
  • 3 – 4tbsp milk
  • 25g crumble mix (see recipe)
  • Butter for frying

Method:

Start by weighing your eggs (in their shells) and measure out the same weight of self-raising flour.  Break the eggs into a large jug and then add the flour , sugar, salt, baking powder and melted butter.  Add the milk a splash at a time and stir the mixture together until you have a thick but pourable consistency.

Melt a knob of butter in a large frying pan and, once it starts to froth up, pour or spoon in your pancake mix (as much as you like, depending on what size you like your pancakes – I made about 10 small ones with these quantities).  Immediately sprinkle some of your crumble mix on top of each pancake and tap down gently with a spatula.  Once bubbles start to form on the surface of the pancake, flip over and cook until golden on the other side.  Transfer your pancakes to a plate in a low oven until the rest are ready.

Serve with a knob of salted butter and an indulgent drizzle of maple syrup.

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Simple sides: citrus and herb compound butter

| adamcockle

butterblog

Add extra zipp to steak and seafood, or stir into risotto and scrambled eggs . . .

Ingredients:

  • 250g salted butter (at room temperature)
  • 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
  • Zest of 1/2 a lemon
  • Zest of 1/2 an orange
  • Pinch of chilli flakes (or more if you like it spicy!)
  • 1tbsp fish sauce
  • 1tbsp maple syrup
  • Ground black pepper to taste

Method:

Place the butter in an electric mixer and, using the paddle attachment, whip the butter on high speed until smooth.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and whip for another minute or two until everything is incorporated.  Splodge your herby, zesty butter onto a large piece of parchment paper or clingfilm and roll into a tight, sausage shape.  Pop in the fridge until firm.  Simply slice off pieces as you need them.

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Crispy breaded pork chops

| adamcockle

snit3

Ingredients:

For the pork:

  • 4 boneless pork chops
  • 50g breadcrumbs (I used panko)
  • 2 medium eggs
  • Flour
  • Salt and pepper
  • Vegetable or sunflower oil

Method:

Trim the fat from the chops with a sharp knife.  Place the chops between sheets of parchment paper or fold inside a piece of clingfilm.  Using a rolling pin (or meat mallet) gently bash the chops until they are 1cm thick.  Take 3 plates – sprinkle one thickly with flour and season the flour generously with salt and pepper,  crack the eggs into another and lightly beat with a fork, and then onto the last plate put the breadcrumbs.

Take your flattened pork chops and first dip into the seasoned flour until well coated, shake of the excess and then dip into the egg followed by the breadcrumbs until thoroughly coated.  You can stop here if you like, but I like to ‘double dip’ by dipping the chops into the egg and then breadcrumbs for a second time – the final product will be extra crunchy!

Cover you chops and place in the fridge for about half an hour to set up.  Remove from the fridge and fill a large, deep frying pan with about 1cm of oil.  Heat the oil on medium high until a pinch of breadcrumbs dropped into the centre of the pan sizzle immediately.  Carefully place the chops into the pan (don’t overcrowd the pan – cook in batches if you have to) and cook for a few minutes on each side until crunchy and golden.  Remove from the pan and leave to drain on sheets of kitchen paper to remove the excess oil.

I served my pork chops with roasted broccoli and green beans, mashed potatoes and a simple gravy.

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