Toad-in-the-Hole

This is a classic British dish consisting of a Yorkshire pudding batter with pre-cooked sausages in it.

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 pound small link pork sausages
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 cup milk

Place the butter and sausages in a 12-inch roasting pan or cast-iron skillet and bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, sift the flour into a bowl and beat in the egg.
Add half the milk slowly, beating until the batter is smooth, then add the remaining half of the milk and beat until very smooth.
Pour the batter into the pan with the sausages and bake 20 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the batter rises up the sides of the pan and turns golden brown.

Serves 4 to 6.

adminEnglish3 Nov, 2007No Comments

Shortbread with Cumberland Rum Butter

1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
Superfine sugar (for dusting)
1 cup unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/3 cup dark Jamaican rum

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a large bowl beat the butter with a wooden spoon until it is soft, then continue beating while adding sugar then the flour.
When it gets hard to handle, bring it together with the spoon and make into a ball with your hands.
Transfer to a working surface that has been lightly dusted with superfine sugar.
Quickly and lightly roll out about 1/8 inch thick.
You may need to dust the rolling pin with sugar, also. With a 3-inch diameter crinkled cookie cutter, cut out the cookies and place on a cookie sheet.
Bake on a high shelf in the oven for about 30 minutes, until they are a pale golden color — no darker.
Cool the cookies on a wire rack and dust them with some superfine sugar.
When cool, store in an airtight container.

Melt the butter in a small heavy-bottom saucepan over low heat. As butter is melting, put the sugar in a large mixing bowl and remove all lumps by pressing them out with your hands or a wooden spoon.
Add nutmeg.
Pour on the rum and mix well.
Pour on the melted butter and stir in well.
Put mixture into a glass bowl, cover the surface with wax paper and, when cool, place in the refrigerator until serving time.

adminEnglish3 Nov, 2007No Comments

Crumpets

These are British griddle cakes, most delicious when they are served piping hot.

1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
1/2 cup lukewarm milk (scalded, then cooled)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water in medium-size bowl.
Stir in remaining ingredients; beat until smooth.
Cover; let rise in warm place until double, 40 to 60 minutes.

Grease griddle or heavy skillet and insides of 4 to 6 (3-inch) flan rings or crumpet rings.* Place rings on griddle over medium heat until hot.
Pour about 2 tablespoons batter into each ring. Cook until tops form bubbles and bottoms are golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove rings; turn crumpets to brown other side, 1 to 2 minutes.
Repeat with remaining batter, greasing insides of rings each time.
Serve with butter and jam or marmalade.

Makes 12.

* 6 1/2-ounce tuna, minced clam or shrimp cans, tops and bottoms removed, can be substituted for the flan rings.

adminEnglish3 Nov, 2007No Comments

Gingernut Biscuits

The English use golden syrup.
Try it if you can find it at a specialty store.

1 cup unbleached flour
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons maple syrup or golden syrup

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Sift flour, ginger and baking soda into a large mixing bowl, toss in the sugar, then lightly rub in the margarine with your fingertips until the mixture is crumbly.
Add syrup and mix all together to form a stiff paste.

Divide paste into 16 equal pieces by cutting the mixture in half, then each half into halves and so on.
Make sure that each cookie is the same size.
Toll each piece into a ball between the palms of your hands.
Place each ball on a large, lightly greased baking sheet, leaving plenty of room for each to expand.
Using a wooden spoon, press down on each one to flatten it slightly.
Put into the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until they are done.

Remove from the oven and leave on the sheet for a little while. Using a spatula, place each on a wire rack for final cooling.
Eat immediately with vanilla ice cream or store in an airtight container.

adminEnglish3 Nov, 2007No Comments

Queen Elizabeth Cake

1 cup boiling water
1 cup chopped dates
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter or shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup nuts, chopped
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Add the baking soda to the dates and pour the boiling water over them.
Set aside to cool.
cream shortening.
Add sugar and blend well.
Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
Mix and sift the flour, baking powder and salt and add alternately to the creamed ingredients with the cooled date mixture and nuts.
Bake in a greased 12 x 9-inch pan at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes. Prepare icing.

When cake is done, remove from oven and spread icing over hot cake.
Return to oven until icing is golden brown.

Icing
5 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cream
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup coconut

Mix in a small pan and boil for three minutes.
Pour and spread over cake.
Return cake to oven for a few minutes.

adminEnglish3 Nov, 2007No Comments

Cream Teas (Scones)

Always serve on pretty doilies, use pretty pots for the preserves and a special spoon for the preserves.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 tablespoons butter (at room temperature)
1 1/2 tablespoons superfine sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
2/3 cup fresh milk
Flour (for rolling out)
1/2 pint heavy cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Sift flour into a large mixing bowl and then rub in the butter, using your fingers, until it resembles coarse meal.
Stir in the sugar, salt and raisins, if desired.
Then add milk slowly, stirring with a fork.
Use your hands to finish the mixing process and knead the mixture to a soft dough.
If you’re in a low humidity area, you may need to add a little more milk.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured working surface and roll out to about a 3/4-inch thickness with a rolling pin.
Cut scone shapes using a crinkled pastry cutter.
Make firm cuts.
When you’ve cut as many as you can, knead the mixture again and continue to cut until all the mixture is used up.
Place scones on a greased baking sheet, leaving a little space between each, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.
Turn out on a wire cooling rack.

To serve, slice horizontally in half.
Spread a little butter onto the surface, then spread on a glob of strawberry or red raspberry preserves.
Pipe on a good helping of whipped heavy cream using a pastry bag and a large star-shaped tube.
Place each half on an oval serving plate on which you’ve placed a white napkin or doily.
Eat while hot.
Serve with a pot of freshly brewed loose-leaf tea.

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Black Fruitcake

This is an English cake.
It is also known as Dark Fruitcake, English Fruitcake and Merry Christmas Cake.

1/4 pound candied citron
1/8 pound candied lemon peel
1/8 pound candid orange peel
1/2 pound candied cherries
1 pound candied pineapple
1 pound golden raisins
1/2 pound seeded raisins
1/4 pound currants
1/2 cup dark rum, cognac, sherry or Madeira
1/4 pound blanched shelled pecans
1/4 pound shelled walnuts or pecans
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon mace
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
5 eggs
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon almond extract

Prepare fruits and nuts a day ahead.
Sliver the citron, lemon and orange peel into very thin strips; cut cherries in half and pineapple in thin wedges.
Set aside.
Pick over raisins and currants to eliminate stray stems or seeds; add rum, cognac, sherry or Madeira, and soak overnight.
Chop almonds and walnuts or pecans coarsely.
Set them aside, also.

The following day, grease a 10-inch tube pan, four 1-pound coffee cans, or 2 bread pans measuring 9 x 5 x 3 inches.
Line with brown paper.

To make the cake, mix 1/2 cup of the sifted flour with all the fruits and nuts in a large bowl.
Sift remaining flour with spices and baking soda.
Cream butter until soft, then work in granulated sugar and brown sugar, a little at a time, until mixture is smooth. Stir in the eggs, milk, almond extract and flour mixture.
Mix thoroughly.
Pour over the fruit and nuts and work together with your hands until batter is very well mixed.
Lift the batter into the pan or pans and press it down firmly to make a compact cake when cooked.
Bake at 275 degrees F.
A tube pan that uses all the batter will take 3 1/4 hours.
The bread pans, which will each hold half the batter, will take 2 1/4 hours.
The coffee cans, which each hold one-fourth of the batter, will take 2 hours.

Remove cakes from oven, let stand 30 minutes, then turn out onto cake racks.
Peel off the brown paper very carefully.
The four small, round cakes make attractive Christmas gifts.

To age fruitcakes, allow at least four weeks.
Wrap each cake in several layers of cheesecloth well soaked in rum, cognac, sherry or Madeira.
Place in an airtight container, such as a large crock or kettle, and cover tightly.
If cheesecloth dries out, moisten it with a little of the wine or spirits.
Do not overdo it.
The cakes should be firm, not soft, at the end of the aging period.
This will make them easy to slice in neat, compact slices.
If you wish to frost fruitcakes after they have been properly aged, cover the top first with Almond Paste, then with Milk Frosting.
To decorate, make a garland of candied cherries, slivered angelica, and blanched whole almonds around the edge of the cake.

Almond Paste
1 pound blanched almonds
1 pound confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon almond extract or 2 teaspoons rose water

Work almonds through a food grinder or blend in an electric blender.
Thoroughly mix in confectioners’ sugar.
Beat egg whites slightly, then stir into the almond mixture.
Add almond extract or rose water, using your hands to blend the heavy mixture.

Milk Frosting
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine sugar, milk and butter in a saucepan.
Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to boil.
Then boil, without stirring, until a few drops tested in cold water form a soft ball. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract, and beat until frosting is of spreading consistency.
Spread over top of cake letting it dribble down the sides.
If frosting becomes too stiff to spread, melt in top of double boiler over boiling water, then beat again.

adminEnglish3 Nov, 2007No Comments

Toad in the Hole (English Yorkshire Pudding with Pork Sausages)

Yield: 2 to 3 servings

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound sausages
1/3 cup water

In a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in a blender, blend flour, milk, eggs, salt and pepper for 5 seconds.
Turn off the motor and with a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the container.
Blend the batter for 20 seconds more, transfer it to a bowl and let it stand, covered with plastic wrap, for one hour.

In a skillet, combine sausages, pierced lightly with a needle, and water.
Bring the water to a boil over moderately high heat and boil the sausages, turning them, until the water is evaporated. Sauté the sausages, adding oil if necessary to keep them from sticking, for 7 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Transfer the sausages with a slotted spoon to a plate.
Pour 3 tablespoons of fat from the skillet into an 8-inch square baking pan and heat the pan in a preheated 450 degree F oven for two minutes.

Stir the batter, pouring about 1/4 of the mix into the hot dish, being very careful.
Bake for two minutes, or until it is set. Arrange the sausages on the batter, pour the remaining batter over them and bake the mixture for 15 minutes.

Reduce heat to 375 degrees F and bake or 10 to 15 minutes more, or until it is puffed and golden brown.
Serve the dish immediately with hot English mustard, if desired.

adminEnglish3 Nov, 2007No Comments

Garden Apple Ice Cream

Serve this with thin wafer cookies.

3 egg yolks, beaten
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups chilled whipping cream
3/4 cup (6 ounces) frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1/2 to 1 teaspoon rose water
3 to 4 drops red food color (optional)

Mix egg yolks, sugar, milk and salt in saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until bubbles appear around edge.
Pour into chilled bowl; cover and refrigerate until room temperature 1 to 2 hours.

Stir remaining ingredients into milk mixture.
Pour into freezer can; put dasher in place.
Cover and adjust crank.
Place can in freezer tub.
Fill freezer tub 1/3 full of ice; add remaining ice alternately with layers of rock salt (6 parts ice to 1 part rock salt).
Turn crank until it turns with difficulty.
Drain water from freezer tub.
Remove lid; remove dasher.
Pack mixture down; replace lid.
Repack in ice and salt.
Let stand several hours to ripen.

Yields 8 servings.

adminEnglish3 Nov, 2007No Comments

Pimms Punch

1 (750 ml) bottle Pimms, chilled
1 (2 liter) bottle lemon-lime carbonated beverage, chilled
Apple chunks
Fresh mint sprigs

Combine all ingredients just prior to serving.
Serve punch over ice.

Makes 11 cups.

adminEnglish2 Nov, 2007No Comments