Sandie O'Loughlin's Yorkshire puddings

There is nothing quite like Roast rib beef and Yorkshire puds - my favourite meal when I was a kid and still my favourite meal today.

These Yorkshire puddings are the perfect partner for roast beef, nice and rare, along with roast potatoes, pureed carrot and parsnip, red wine sauce and of course creamed horseradish.

I try where possible to buy it on the bone (when funds allow) or sometimes I just cook some juicy fillet steaks if there is only 2 of us for dinner and a large roast is just too much. 

If you are cooking for 2 or 3 just halve the ingredients and only cook in 6 sections of the muffin tin.
 
INGREDIENTS
4oz plain flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 free-range eggs 

10 fl oz full fat milk (half pint)

50g/1¾oz beef dripping or lard - I use a teensy bit of Goose fat in each section of the muffin/pudding tin. Using the lard / fat instead of oil really does make a difference.

 
METHOD
Whisk eggs and salt until a very pale colour and it is fluffy (about 5 minutes) getting plenty of air in.
Add the milk bit by bit whisking as you go. Add sieved flour and whisk again to make a smooth batter - not too thick. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

Place the mixture in the fridge for at least an hour - the mixture must have time to get really cold in the fridge where it will also thicken (hence not too much flour) Place greased tin in hot oven 220C/450F/Gas 7. ( 200 Fan) 

When tin is piping hot immediately fill with (re-whisked)  mix – if tins are hot enough the mix will bubble at the edges like pancakes would in a frying pan.
Cook (without opening the oven door) for about 16 minutes, open the door very slightly to allow any steam to escape close and turn the temperature down to 190C/375F/Gas 5. (Fan 170) and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until Golden brown and crispy.
 
Result – Perfect Yorkies – well fingers crossed anyway!!!
 

Tunisian Orange Cake

This very simple but fantastic tasty cake/ dessert is delicious served with cream or a scoop of soft icecream.

The cake will last (if it's not devoured in one go) for up to two weeks in an airtight container/ tin.

I got this recipe from Darina Allen's Ballymaloe Cookery Course (or as it's been christened by myself and my sisters 'THE BALLYMALOE BIBLE' ).

Every time I have made it, it has turned out perfectly and is ideal if you are having folks to dinner as you can make it days in advance.

INGREDIENTS:
For the Cake
2oz / 50g stale breadcrumbs
7oz / 200g Caster sugar
3 1/2oz / 100g ground almonds
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
7fl oz / 200ml sunflower oil
4 eggs
zest 1 large orange
zest 1 small lemon
(keep the orange and lemon juice for the syrup)

For the Syrup
Juice of 1 large Orange
Juice 1 small lemon
3oz/ 75g caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves

Grate the zest of the orange and lemon. Mix it with the ground almonds, sugar,  baking powder and breadcrumbs. In a separate bowl whisk the oil and eggs together.  Add mixture to the dry ingredients  and mix well.


Pour into a deep 8in / 20cm greased and floured tin and line the bottom of the tin.

Place the tin in a COLD OVEN- yes, you read it correctly- and turn it on to 180ºC  (160ºC fan) and bake, from cold, for 45 minutes until firm and golden brown. While the cake is baking, be a busy bee and make the syrup. Slowly heat the syrup ingredients together in a heavy based pot and simmer gently for 3 minutes giving it the odd stir.

When cake is cooled pierce all over with a skewer (I use a metal knitting needle) and gently spoon over the warm syrup until it is all soaked up.

Serve decorated with the cloves and the cinnamon stick from the syrup and a nice dollop of freshly whipped cream. Mmmmmmmmm.

Enyd’s sponge cake

This is a fatless sponge cake that is as light as a feather but absolutely lovely. It was one my mother's many 'piece de resistances'. It is easy to make and while it is in the oven you have enough time to whip up some homemade Raspberry jam to go with it.

INGREDIENTS:
5oz caster sugar
4 oz plain flour
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tbs boiling water

(1 Option is to use Self Raising Flour but omit the Baking Powder)

METHOD:
Beat eggs and sugar together until thick, add boiling water and beat for about 10 minutes until risen right up the bowl.

 Sift flour and baking powder together and fold into mixture. Put mixture into 2 greased and floured cake tins. Place in pre-heated oven at 190 degrees celcius (fan oven 170) for 25 minutes.

When cake is cool spread with (homemade) raspberry jam add whipped cream and put cake together. Dust top lightly with icing sugar.


HOMEMADE RASPBERRY JAM
Use equal amounts of Raspberries and Sugar ( 1lb of Raspberries to 1lb of sugar - depending on the quantity of jam you want to make).

Warm the sugar in the oven for about 10 minutes. Put raspberries in a heavy based pot and slowly bring to the boil. When the raspberries are starting to break down you can mash them with a potato masher.

Add warm sugar and bring to a rapid, rolling boil. Cook for about 5 minutes and test. Put a teaspoonful of jam on a cold plate, leave in a cool place for a few minutes and if the jam wrinkles when pushed with the tip of your finger it has reached it's setting point. Skim the top of the jam (you can add a knob of butter) if necessary and pot immediately.

Roquefort sauce

Want something a little different for dinner? This is an absolutely delicious sauce which goes great with steak or home-made hamburgers or even tossed with pasta.
Serves 2-3
 
INGREDIENTS:
110gms (4oz) Roquefort
27gms (1oz) UNSALTED butter 
170 mls (6 fl oz) dry White Wine
1-2 teaspoons green peppercorns 
120 mls  (4 fl oz) cream
1 + 1/2 Teaspoons fresh parsley leaves chopped finely or (1 tsp dried parsley)

GARNISH:
Fresh Rosemary Sprigs to garnish
 
DIRECTIONS:
In a bowl, cream the cheese and butter until smooth. In a saucepan, boil the wine with the peppercorns until it is reduced to about 1 tablespoon, add the cream, and boil again until it is reduced by half. 

Reduce the heat to moderately low, whisk in the cheese mixture, a little at a time, and then whisk in the parsley. Remove the pan from the heat and keep the sauce warm. 

Check for seasoning and add freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

Do not add any salt, since Roquefort is quite salty on its own.

Mushroom Soup

Although the field mushroom season is over you can still make this delicious soup using shop bought mushrooms. 

There is a girl in the Limerick Saturday Milk Market who sells the large cap mushrooms which are almost (but not quite) as good as the wild ones - She charges (at the time of posting this)  €1 for six good sized mushrooms in a brown paper bag which is a really good price compared to what they charge in the supermarkets. 

I also like to throw in a few chestnut mushrooms as I find these have a slightly 'nutty' flavour

INGREDIENTS
1 lb mushrooms
3 oz butter
2 medium onions / spring onions also, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 pints hot chicken stock
(or vegetable stock for vegetarians)
1 bay leaf
4 fl oz cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper    

Clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth and chop the caps and stems and chop the onions. Heat the butter in a medium pan and cook the garlic and onions until they’re soft but not browned. This should take five to six minutes.

Add the mushrooms and cook over a high heat for 3 minutes whilst stirring constantly.

Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms, mix well to combine. Stir in the flour and mix well, making sure all the mushrooms are well coated.


Pour in the hot chicken stock and bring to the boil.  Add the bay leaf and simmer for 10 minutes. When the 10 minutes are up remove the bay leaf and leave the soup to cool for a few minutes.

Place the soup in a food processor, liquidiser or if you have a hand blender even better as it is much easier to use. Blend well till smooth, it may be necessary to do this in two batches. Rinse the saucepan and return soup, season with salt and pepper and reheat until boiling.

Stir in the cream.....Then serve and eat!

Steak & Kidney Pie

A Winter Warmer  . . . . .

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon vegetable or sunflower oil
1 1/2 lbs stewing steak, diced
1/2 lb lamb kidney  (trimmed and diced)
12 ounces puff pastry
2 onions, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and roughly diced
chestnut mushroom or button mushrooms
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon tomato puree
1 bay leaf
1 pint beef stock
Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
1 egg, beaten, for glazing  
butter for frying

 
DIRECTIONS:
Heat a large frying pan with a little of the oil. Season the diced beef with salt and pepper. Fry in the pan until well coloured and completely sealed. Transfer meat to a large saucepan.  Add a touch more oil, if necessary, to the frying pan. Season the kidneys and also fry quickly to seal and colour in the hot pan. Also transfer to the saucepan. 

Melt a knob of butter in the pan and cook the onions and carrots in the melted butter for 2 - 3 minutes. They will lift any flavours left from the meats. Put into the saucepan with the meat. Fry the mushroom slices in a little more butter, just turning in the pan for a minute or two; keep to one side. 

Place the saucepan on medium heat, stirring in the flour, and allow it to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato puree, bay leaf and mushrooms. Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer, skimming off any impurities. The meat should just be covered with the stock; if not, top with a little more stock or water. Simmer gently, partially covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. During the cooking time it may need to be skimmed several times. 

After 1 1/2 hours, check the meat for tenderness. If not quite soft enough, cook for the additional 30 minutes. If the meat is cooking gently, it will not need to be topped up with any additional stock or water. The sauce will have reduced, thickening it’s consistency and increasing it’s flavour. 

Taste for seasoning, adding a dash or two of Worcestershire Sauce to the mixture. Taste again. Transfer to a 2 pint pie dish and allow to cool to lukewarm. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F.  Roll the pastry 1/4-inch thick. Cut a strip of pastry to sit around the rim of the dish. This will help the top to stay on. Brush the rim of the pie dish with some beaten egg and apply the strip. Brush again with egg. Making sure the pastry top is bigger than the dish, sit it on top. Push down around the sides, trim and crimp for a neat finish. Brush completely with egg wash and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown.

A surprising number of peoples don't like kidneys so you could leave them out if you want - but then it will just be Steak pie . . .

Glen's Yummy Mince Pies

Today is my birthday and my yearly marker for "OMG Christmas is only 2 months away - I need to start baking" . . .
 
So as Christmas is rapidly heading our way there are some things a girl (or guy) must get on with in preparation. This recipe I got from my sister Glenys - baker and cook extraordinaire!!

They are simply amazing and the best I have ever tasted. They will blow your mind and if you have more than two - do not drive . . . . for at least 2 hours . . .

You need to make up the filling well in advance of using it to really fill the fruit with full flavour. (Put enough alcohol in it and it will keep for YEARS - I am still using some I made over a year ago.) 



MINCEMEAT FILLING

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. finely chopped suet
1 lb. currants
1 lb. raisins
1 lb. chopped apples
1 lb. castor sugar 
(I use 1/2 lb. castor and 1/2 lb. soft brown sugar)
1/2 lb. sultanas
1/4 lb. mixed candied peel
2 lemons (grated rind and juice)
4oz chopped almonds
3 fl. oz whiskey
10 fl oz. Guinness
17 fl oz Cider
2 teaspoon nutmeg, mace and cinnamon
1 level tsp. mixed spice

Stir it every week and make sure all the fruit is coated,  adding a drop more whiskey and Guinness “as you feel is right” . . . .

MAKING THE MINCE PIES

Make these a day or two before Christmas and keep in an airtight tin - they can be warmed before serving

SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY

INGREDIENTS:
400gms plain flour
200gms butter
2 beaten eggs
2 tablespoon icing sugar

Cut butter into small cubes and rub into flour with fingers to make ‘breadcrumbs’.  Add sugar, then use 3/4 of the beaten egg to bind the pastry. Place between 2 sheets of clingfilm and flatten slightly.  Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm.

Heat oven to 180 ˚C (160˚C Fan oven). Roll out pastry on a lightly floured board or between sheets of cling film and line a greased and floured Muffin tin with pastry for individual pies. Place in the oven and blind bake for 15/20 minutes. Brush with remaining egg and put back in the oven for 5 minutes to seal. With the remaining pastry cut tops for the cases and set aside.

Fill the pastry cases 3/4 full and seal with tops. Pop back into the oven for 15 -18 minutes. Allow to cool in tins for about 15 minutes. Serve with a dollop of cream or ice cream.

Herb-crusted Rack of Connemara Lamb

Lamb is a most wonderful meat - especially French trimmed Rack of Lamb but it's not often that I can afford to buy it - it's just too expensive!! but when it's on special offer . . well then it's a free for all at my local butchers in a handbags at dawn kind of way !!

I adore my Lamb (as I do all my red meats) rare and juicy. To me and my hubby it's the only way to get that wonderful flavour and melt-in-the-mouth texture. 

This is a wonderful recipe adapted originally from one of Gordon Ramsays but with my own take on it. My mouth is even watering as I type this up. . . . . 

This super dinner only takes about 3/4 's of an hour in total to cook and is soooooooo good.!!

For the Herb crust:
3-4 slices of stale breadcrumbs
Tsp of dried parsley
Tsp of dried thyme
Tsp of dried coriander
Tsp of dried rosemary
grated rind of 1 lemon
7 tablespoons of grated parmesan
freshly ground salt and pepper 
Place all above ingredients into a food processor and mix well.

Other ingredients needed:
2 tablespoons French's American yellow mustard
(This mustard is wonderful with lamb. Try spreading it on a leg of lamb mixed with some olive oil, garlic and chopped rosemary before roasting - it's got the WOW factor)
Small French trimmed Rack of Lamb.
(1 rack for every 2 people) and cut into two portions (3-4 bones per portion for small lamb)

Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celcius - 180 for a fan oven.
Place lamb on cutting board bone side down. Very lightly score the meat with a sharp knife. Next, generously sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper.

Heat some olive oil and a knob of butter (For a slightly nutty taste) in a pan. Seal the lamb by holding each side in the oil long enough to develop a nice brown colour - but not to cook it for too long. (and don't burn your fingers!)

Smear the mustard onto the outer side of the lamb and press breadcrumb mixture into it. Pat it in well.

Place Lamb into a pan in the oven (cross over bones of each portion so that they support each other and stand up) and cook for 8 mins for rare (it's the only way to eat Lamb!!), or 10 mins for medium and 12-15 minutes for well done. Take out of the oven and stand on a hot plate to rest, covered, for at least 10 mins.

Serve the lamb on a bed of spinach tossed in cream, garlic and black pepper, crispy roast potatoes and country butter and or a light red wine jus and of course a lovely bottle of Claret or Cabernet Sauvignon.

If you have a food processor make a load of breadcrumbs all in one go and freeze in a food bag. Then you always have as little or as much breadcrumbs needed to hand

Baileys Cheesecake

I got this recipe from a friend and I love it - It is sooooo easy and is great to make if you are having family or friends over for dinner - as you can make it the day before and keep it in the fridge.

This is a great base cheesecake and you can make many variations such as 'Rum and Raisin' (soak the raisins in the rum overnight to get a really great infused flavour into the raisins).  

Add 'Creme de Menthe' instead of Baileys for a mint flavour, Creme de Cassis for Blackcurrant, etc. etc. and I have also been known to make the Baileys measure slightly smaller and add a nice dash of Brandy to it . . . . . . the possibilities are endless!! 
(Just don't put too much alcoholic liquid in or it will never set!)

INGREDIENTS:
100g of butter
250g of digestive biscuits, crushed
600g of Cream cheese 
1 (very very) generous measure of Bailey’s Liqueur
100ml of icing sugar
300ml of double cream, whipped
(you can substitute Ginger biscuits for half the digestives for a really interesting base) 

METHOD:
Add the crushed digestive biscuits to the melted butter in a saucepan
Use a wooden spoon to mix well. Place the mixture into an lined 8" tin (the tin preferably has a removable base)  I line the tin with clingfilm - it makes it so easy to remove it from the tin when it’s set.  Flatten down biscuit with the back of a spoon and place in the fridge until cold and set.

Place the cream cheese in a bowl and beat well to loosen. Add the measure of baileys and the icing sugar. In a seperate bowl beat the cream and then fold it into the cream cheese.  (Add fruit etc if desired here) Mix everything together well and put on top of the biscuit base. Smooth over the top and cool in a fridge for at least four hours - but preferably overnight.. 

Decorate with the rind of a lime or dust with chocolate powder . .blueberries, strawberries . . .whatever takes your fancy to compliment the flavour you have chosen

You can also make up individual portions in ramekins also using the cling film to line the dish first.

I have used various brands of cream cheese and they all work just well as each other.

Enyd's Lemon Pudding

My mother Enyd used to make this pudding for Sunday dessert and boy did we love it!! 

The original recipe she used had less milk in it but she added too much by mistake one day but we all preferred it as the sauce on the bottom of the pudding was more liquid and it tasted so good!!

The spongy is unbelievably 'fluffy' and really does melt in your mouth and the sauce is creamy and lemony and just yummy.

My eldest son Nick loves this pudding and usually asks if can I make it for dessert if he's coming to dinner!

I usually double up the ingredients if there's 4 or more for dinner because it's the type of dessert you always want a second helping of!!

INGREDIENTS:
2oz butter
4oz caster sugar
2 eggs (separated)
2oz self raising flour
rind and juice of 1 lemon
3/4 pint of milk






METHOD:
Cream the butter and sugar. Add egg yolks and beat well. Add rind and juice of lemon and then add flour, beating well. Add milk last.
Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into mixture. Pour mixture into greased bowl and place in tray with about 1 inch of cold water.
Bake at 180 degrees Celsius (160 fan oven) for about 45 minutes until lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Alternatively pour into individual greased ramekins and bake as above in the bain marie for approx 25 minutes

Seafood Chowder

This is the kind of soup that if you put a lot of love and time in you will get the best results. It is so easy to make and really doesn't take long to make.

You can buy pieces of mixed fish from the fishmongers or the seafood section in you local supermarket. I love to throw in the odd prawn and mussel as well (including some of the shells for decoration)

The key to making the perfect chowder is to add the fish at the very end giving it just enough time to let the pieces cook - Cook the fish pieces too long and you will be left with an Irish seafood mush rather than a delicious creamy and chunky chowder!
 

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped
100g diced bacon or pancetta 
2 dried bay leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 kg of peeled and diced potatoes
1.25 litre of fish stock (if you don't have fresh use Knorr fish stock cubes)
2.5kg of mixed fish (cod/hake, smoked haddock and fresh salmon mix)
500g of mussels
330ml of cream
1 tablespoon Tomato puree (about 4" from tube)
1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped finely
salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
 
 
METHOD:
In a large pot, heat the butter and sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes.
Add the bacon bits and continue to fry until it turning golden.
Add in the fresh thyme, bay leaves and potatoes and cook gently for 2-3 minutes before adding the fish stock. Season well with salt and pepper.

Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender yet firm. (Some of the potato will break down and help thicken the chowder).

Add the mixed fish pieces and mussels and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and allow to sit for a minute before gently stirring in the parsley and cream. Put back on the heat and gently bring it to just below the boil. Put into warm bowls and sprinkle parsley as a garnish on top. Serve with crisp bread rolls.  

 
You could cook the mussels separately in a small bit of water, chopped spring onion and a smidgen of white wine - (use this liquid as part of your fish stock when drained) - shell them and add them into the chowder at the very end.

Satay Sauce

Over the years I have tried many versions of satay sauces and have kept tweaking and tweaking them until I settled on this one.  It is a now a huge favourite in my house!

The satay sauce will go with any kind of meat - beef, chicken, pork or even prawns and is delicious as a starter with chicken on a skewer, or in a stir-fry with peppers, noodles, and sprinkled with sesame seeds so it is really versatile. 

We often have it with roast chicken breast on the bone and chips or with chicken pieces, peppers and served with steamed rice. This sauce is great even just to dip your chips in!  

I recommend that you buy your ingredients in a Chinese / Asian supermarket as it is usually much cheaper. When buying the Sesame Oil make sure you DO NOT BUY the toasted oil as it does not work well in this recipe.

I have tried many peanut butters with the sauce but have found that Tesco's own brand works best for me. I usually make 5 times the amount and freeze the portions to use when required. As the flavour develops the longer it is kept you can add a small bit of water to it without taking from the rich taste.

INGREDIENTS:
5oz crunchy peanut butter
83ml water cup water
83ml coconut milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoons. dark soy sauce
2 teaspoon sesame oil   
2 tablespoons muscovado sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek

PREPARATION:
Place all ingredients in a saucepan and bring slowly to the boil stirring continuously. The sauce  will thicken as it cools.The sauce can be kept in the fridge for about 2 weeks and is great (hot or  cold)  to dip chips into !!

Homemade Scones

SCONES SCONES SCONES

- Easy to make but so delicious warm out of the oven especially with homemade jam on top!

 Ingredients: 

450g self-raising flour

1 tsp salt

100g butter

300ml fresh milk.

sultanas

Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Rub butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. (add sultanas if desired here) Add the milk all at once and mix to a soft sticky dough. turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead quickly until smooth. roll or press out to about 1cm thick. Cut and place onto a greased and floured baking pan. Bake at 230 degrees (Fan oven 210 degrees)  for 8 - 10 minutes. (Tap the bottom and if they are hollow sounding they are cooked through).

Serve whilst warm with butter, jam - and for that decadent touch - some cream!

VARIATIONS:

Lavender Scones:  

Instead of mixed fruit soak 
the milk in dried lavender 
flowers for about 2 hours and 
strain before using - very different 
but delicious.

Buttermilk Scones:

swop milk for buttermilk 
but cut down on the butter 
to 80gms then bake as usual.

Cheese Scones:  
add 2 tsp of mustard powder and a pinch of cayenne pepper with the flour and mix in 100gms of grated cheddar before adding milk.

Honey Scones: 
add 30ml (warmed) honey with 220 mls of milk (instead of 300mls)

Granary Herb Scones:

Use 450 g Granary flour instead of self raising flour BUT add 1 tsb baking powder and 1 tsb oregano. Serve with Cheese and Relish.

English Breakfast Muffins

These breakfast muffins do take a little bit of time to make when you include the rising times but they are well worth the effort. 

They taste absolutely amazing when accompanied by grilled smoked rasher, poached egg and Hollandaise sauce. 

The recipe for the hollandaise sauce is below but as it is very rich in butter you probably shouldn't have it too often!! This is a wonderful breakfast to make as a treat for someones birthday . . . .

If you don't want to make the muffins yourself there are plenty of versions to be bought at your local supermarkets

 
BREAKFAST MUFFINS
INGREDIENTS:
250ml milk
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 (7g) sachet dried active baking yeast
250ml warm water (45 degrees C)
60g melted butter or margarine
750g plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons slightly grainy polenta (cornmeal)


METHOD:
Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in the sugar, stirring until dissolved. Let cool until lukewarm. 

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the milk, yeast mixture, butter and 1/2 of the flour. Beat until smooth. Add salt and rest of flour, or enough to make a soft dough. Knead. Place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise.

Punch down the dough to let out some of the air. Roll out to about 1cm thick. Cut rounds with biscuit cutter, drinking glass or cup. Sprinkle greaseproof paper with (ground, but not powerdery) polenta and set the rounds on this to rise. Dust tops of muffins with polenta also. Cover and let rise again for 30 minutes.

Heat a lightly greased heavy frying pan or griddle. Cook muffins for about 10 minutes on each side on a medium heat. Keep baked muffins in a warm oven until all have been cooked.

Allow to cool and place in plastic bags for storage.
To use, split and toast.

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
INGREDIENTS:
2 egg yolks
Tablespoon of cold water
4oz (110gms) butter (diced into cubes)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice. 
freshly ground black pepper to season.

Put egg yolks (free range if possible),
in a bowl over hot water or into a
heavy duty stainless steel saucepan on a low heat. Add the cold water and beat thoroughly. 

Add diced butter bit by bit, beating all the time. As soon as one piece melts, add the next. The mixture will slowly thicken, but remove from the heat immediately if it if it shows signs of becoming slightly curdled / scrambled, and add a little cold water, if necessary and whisk briskly to bring it back to a smooth consistency. 

Keep whisking until the sauce is made. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice (approximately) and freshly ground black pepper to taste. 
Keep sauce warm while you poach eggs. 

Place grilled rashers on toasted muffin, followed by the egg's on top and drizzle -  or even better - smother with the hollandaise sauce!!

Granny Walsh's Coffee Cake

If there is one cake that takes me back to my childhood its a Coffee cake!! 

My Grandmother and mother both used to bake this and it always reminds me of Garden fetes, Sunday-school picnics, birthday parties and holidays. 

I came across the recipe in one of my Grandmothers old cookbooks and just had to make it!! 

It was duly put to the test by my ever reliable hubby and was announced to be a huge success with him also.

 

INGREDIENTS
8 ozs (225g) butter
8 ozs (225g) castor sugar
8 ozs (225g) plain white flour,
1 teasp. baking powder
4 eggs
2 tablespoons of Irel coffee essence 
(Tescos sell 'Camp coffee essence' if you can't get Irel) 
walnuts for decoration

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (fan 160ºC) /350ºF
Line the bottom of two 8" sandwich tins, with greaseproof paper, brush the bottom and sides with melted butter and dust with flour.

Cream the butter until soft, add the castor sugar and beat until pale and light in texture. Whisk the eggs and add to the mixture, little by little, beating well between each addition.

Sieve the flour with the baking powder and stir gently into the cake mixture, finally add in the coffee essence and mix thoroughly.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared sandwich tins and bake for 30 minutes approx. in a moderate oven until springy to the touch. Leave the cakes in the tin for a few minutes before turning out onto the wire rack, removing the greaseproof paper from the base. 

Cool the cakes on the wire rack - while the cakes are cooling make the Butter cream icing. 


Coffee Butter Cream Topping & Filling
10 ozs (280g) butter
20ozs (560g) icing sugar
3-4 tablespoons of (Irel or Camp)
 
Whisk the butter with the sieved icing sugar, add the coffee essence. Continue to whisk until fluffy and light.

When the cakes are cold, sandwich them together with the Coffee Butter Cream and spread remainder on the top of the cake and decorate with walnuts

 or if you like you can top the cake with a sugar icing
 
Coffee Sugar Icing
16 ozs (450g) icing sugar
2 tablespoons essence (Irel or Camp)
4 tablespoons boiling water

Sieve the icing sugar and put into a bowl.
Add coffee essence and enough boiling water to make it the consistency of thick cream.

Wonderful Tomato relish

Hubby grows tomatoes every year. Usually 6 to 8 plants and with the fab sunny weather this year and as sod's law has it  - they all decided to produce lovely ripe tomatoes at the same time. 

I came across this recipe a long time ago and it really is a beautiful, tangy but sweet relish and was the ideal way for me to use up the extra tomatoes.

I believe it is supposed to be very close to an old recipe by Myrtle Allen of Ballymaloe in County Cork.

INGREDIENTS
1.4 k / 3 lbs ripe tomatoes
450 g / 1 lb sugar
250g /half lb shallots or onions
110g / quarter lb of sultanas
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 level teaspoons of mustard seeds
half teaspoon allspice (aka pimento) 
110 gms / quarter lb of tomato puree
900 ml / 1.5 pints of (white) vinegar

Skin the tomatoes (drop them into hot water for 2 minutes and then into cold water - the skin will just slip off!)  Chop the shallots and tomatoes and set aside. 

 
 
Put all other ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to boil.  

Add tomatoes and shallots and simmer slowly over a low heat for about an hour without a lid until the mixture becomes thick.  

Pot into sterilised jars. Store for at least 2 weeks but preferably 4 before eating to allow the flavours to mature.

This relish goes really well with the garlic & basil sausage rolls below.

Delicious sausage rolls

To make really good and tasty sausages 

just follow these simple things:

Instead of using plain sausage meat buy the 'Garlic & Basil',  'Italian sausage', 'Pork & Apple' etc. varieties. Aldi's Garlic ones are really good and I have often used Tesco's own speciality brand also. 

Roll out your puff pastry (I use fresh - not frozen) but I do not spend 4 hours making my own - I buy it from the fridge in Lidl, Aldi, Dunnes or Tescos - they are all perfectly good. - I find Aldi & Lidl are of much cheaper on price and often superior in quality)

Open out Puff pastry, slit sausage skins and peel them off. Place three sausages (jumbos) in a row down the outside of the pastry sheet - making sure they meet fully,  now place another three on the other half of the pastry at the outer edge. 

Cut down the middle of the pastry and brush both sides with  beaten egg. Roll them up, seal them and cut to desired length. Prick each sausage roll with a fork, brush with beaten egg and sprinkle poppy seeds lightly on top. 

Place the sausage rolls on a sheet of baking paper or a greased and floured tin and put in a hot oven at 220 degrees (200 fan oven). Cook for 12- 14 minutes until golden brown but not too dark.
 

Serve hot with some tomato relish and enjoy.

When the sausage rolls are cold you can bag them and freeze them and cook from frozen whenever you fancy in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees (180) for 15 minutes. I find it so handy to have bags of them in the freezer.