This recipe comes from the original Swiss Bircher muesli, where porridge oats are soaked in a little water, then sweetened with delicious seasonal or dried fruit, and sometimes nuts and seeds too. Strawberries and raspberries work particularly well in this muesli recipe, as does grated apple, to which you could also add a smidgen of ground cinnamon.
The recipe was created in the early 1900s by the Swiss physician Dr Maximillian Bircher-Benner, who knew that a diet rich in nutrients was essential for the recuperation of the patients in his hospital.
Place the porridge oats in a bowl with the water. Allow the oats to sit for 10 minutes, then add in the strawberries. Mash with a fork before adding enough light agave syrup or honey, whichever you’re using, to sweeten the mixture.
Serve the muesli on its own, or with cream and brown sugar; or topped with natural yoghurt and toasted, chopped hazelnuts or almonds.
Serves 2-3.
You will need:
75g (3oz) porridge oats
150ml (5fl oz) water
110g (4oz) strawberries
2-3 teaspoons light agave syrup or honey
To serve, you will need:
Cream and brown sugar (optional)
Natural yoghurt and toasted chopped hazlenuts or almonds (optional)
Place the porridge oats in a bowl with the water. Allow the oats to sit for 10 minutes, then add in the strawberries. Mash with a fork before adding enough light agave syrup or honey, whichever you’re using, to sweeten the mixture.
Serve the muesli on its own, or with cream and brown sugar; or topped with natural yoghurt and toasted, chopped hazelnuts or almonds.
One-Dish Roast Chicken Supper with Thyme and Rosemary
Another lip-smackingly delicious dish that family and friends love me to cook for them. A whole roasting tray of crispy chicken, bacon and potatoes, perfumed with rosemary and thyme leaves.
Ingredients: 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 500g streaky bacon lardons 2kg free-range, organic chicken thighs (drumsticks and wings can also be included) 2-3 tbsp thyme leaves 1-2 tbsp chopped rosemary 1.1kg (about 10 large) potatoes 250g onions, sliced 60-110ml hot chicken stock Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve: Green salad/Tomato fondue/Piperonata
You will need: 1 roasting tin 37 x 31cm or 2 small tins – 30 x 20cm
Method: 1 Preheat the oven to 230°C/Gas Mark 8. 2 Heat the olive oil in a roasting tin, add the bacon and toss over a high heat until it is beginning to colour. Remove to a plate with a perforated spoon. 3 Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. 4 Put into a large bowl and scatter with most of the thyme leaves and chopped rosemary, reserving some for the potatoes. (I sometimes add a sprinkling of chilli flakes or smoked paprika – it gets a brilliant reaction). 5 Toss well. 6 Peel the potatoes and cut into 1cm thick chips. Dry and season well with salt, pepper and the reserved herbs. Add to the bowl with chicken. 7 Drizzle with the bacon fat and olive oil from the pan and toss once again. 8 Scatter the onions and bacon over the base of the roasting tin(s). Arrange the chicken and potatoes haphazardly on top, making sure that the potatoes are popping up. Drizzle with a little more olive oil. 9 Roast for 45 minutes–1 hour or until the chicken is cooked through (the juices should be running clear if pricked with a knife) and the chips are crispy at the edges. (Organic chicken pieces are larger, so cooking time can be up to 1¼ hours.) 10 Add the chicken stock at the end if the dish needs a little more juice. 11 Serve from the tin, family style, with a good green salad and vegetables of your choice, such as tomato fondue or piperonata if you wish.
Raspberry jam doughnuts & chocolate fudge doughnuts made freshly today by @jen.allennn in the #ballymaloebreadshed Available in our farm shop today only, open until 5.30pm 👌Edited · 40m
Raspberry jam doughnuts & chocolate fudge doughnuts made freshly today by @jen.allennn in the #ballymaloebreadshed Available in our farm shop today only, open until 5.30pm 👌Edited · 40m
Served warm with softly whipped cream, this chocolate pudding is heaven. Though it is rich, it is not too heavy. Real chocolate lovers may like to serve the pudding with warm Chocolate Sauce alongside. I usually bake this pudding in one dish to serve family style, but the mixture can also be divided between eight 200 ml/7 fl oz (¾ cup) ramekins if you would like each person to have their own individual pudding.
Note: In this recipe, you can swap the plain flour with a gluten-free flour blend to yield a nice gluten-free dessert; the texture will be slightly different but the pudding will still be rich and delicious.
Serves 6–8
For The Pudding
150 g/5 oz dark chocolate, 62% cocoa solids, cut into small pieces
150 g/5 oz (⅔ cup) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
150 ml/5 fl oz (⅔ cup) warm water
110 g/4 oz (½ cup plus 1 tablespoon) caster (superfine) sugar
4 large eggs, separated
25 g/1 oz (¼ cup) plain flour, sifted pinch of cream of tartar (tartaric acid)
To serve
icing (confectioners) sugar, for sprinkling softly whipped cream or crème fraîche.
To make the pudding: Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Place a 1.5 litre/2½ pint (6¼ cup) ovenproof pie dish in a roasting tin that neatly fits it. The roasting tin should be at least 5 cm/2½ inches deep.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of hot water. Stir from time to time to blend the melting chocolate and butter until smooth. Remove from the heat. Add the vanilla extract, then stir in the warm water and the caster sugar. Continue to mix until the mixture is smooth. Whisk the egg yolks into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the flour making sure there are no lumps.
Whisk the egg whites in a spotlessly clean bowl with a pinch of cream of tartar until it reaches soft peaks. Keep an eye on the whites as they whip to ensure they do not become too stiff and grainy. Fold one quarter of the whisked egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Gently fold the remaining egg white into the mixture until completely blended, being careful not to knock all the air out. Pour the mixture into the pie dish. Pour boiling water into the roasting tin to come halfway up the side of the dish.
Bake for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Bake for a further 20 minutes. The pudding will be set on top but still soft and somewhat molten underneath. Remove the roasting tray and pudding from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
To serve: Lightly dust the pudding with icing sugar. The pudding can be held in a warm place for up to 1 hour. Serve warm with softly whipped cream or crème fraîche.
This recipe is from ‘Ballymaloe Desserts’ a cookbook by JR Ryall, Head Pastry Chef at Ballymaloe House HotelSearch for:
A delicious classic recipe for a very classy cake.
Ingredients
butter (melted, for greasing)
4 eggs
125 g (41/2 oz) caster sugar (plus 3 tbsp for sprinkling)
2 tblsp warm water
1 tsp vanilla extract
125 g (41/2 oz) plain flour (plus extra for dusting)
for the filling
200 g (7oz) rhubarb (about 2 stalks, trimmed), cut into 5mm (1/4 in) slices
125 g (41/2 oz) caster sugar
200 ml (7fl oz) milk
1 vanilla pod, split lengthways, or 2 tsp vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
15 g (1/2 oz) cornflour
100 ml (31/2 fl oz) whipped double or regular cream (measured when whipped)
Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F/Gas 5). Line the base of the Swiss roll tin (25 x 38cm/ 10 x 15′) with baking parchment, brush the base and sides of the tin with melted butter and dust with flour.
Using a hand-held electric beater or an electric food mixer, whisk together the eggs, caster sugar, water and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
Sift in the flour, about one-third at a time, and fold it into the mixture. Carefully pour the mixture into the prepared Swiss roll tin and bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes or until the centre of the sponge is slightly springy to the touch and the edges have shrunk a little from the sides of the tin.
Take a piece of baking parchment slightly larger in size than the tin and spread out on a work surface.
Sprinkle the paper evenly with caster sugar (this is to stop the cake sticking to the paper). Quickly flip the Swiss roll tin over onto the sugared paper, then carefully remove the tin and baking parchment from the bottom of the cake.
Place a clean, slightly damp tea towel over the cake while it cools – this will prevent it drying out and cracking when you roll it.
Meanwhile, make the filling. Place the rhubarb in a saucepan with 75g (3oz) of the caster sugar and 25ml (1fl oz) of water and place on a medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil and allow to boil, uncovered and stirring regularly, for 10–15 minutes or until the rhubarb is completely soft and the mixture is quite thick.
Tip out onto a plate and allow to cool.
Next make the custard. Place the milk and the split vanilla pod (if using) in another pan and bring to the boil.
Whisk the egg yolks (and vanilla extract, if using) with the remaining sugar (I like to use a hand-held electric beater for this) for a few minutes or until pale and light. Then briefly whisk in the cornflour.
Pour the hot milk and vanilla pod (if using) onto the egg mixture, whisking as you pour, then tip it all back into the saucepan and cook, stirring all the time, over a low heat for a few minutes or until it forms a thick custard.
Pour it into a bowl and allow to cool, then fold in the cooled rhubarb and the whipped cream – you can leave it slightly marbled (not fully mixed) if you prefer.
When the sponge is completely cold, spread over the rhubarb and custard mixture, then, with one of the short sides facing you, roll up the Swiss roll away from you and carefully transfer to a serving plate.
Sprinkle with a little extra caster sugar to finish, then cut into slices about 2cm (3/4in) thick to serve.
by IG:kroky__ 
Foodaware 