Tag: home baking

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Auntie Maureen’s Plum Pudding by Neven Maguire @macneanhouse Co.Cavan

Makes 2x 1.2 litre (2 pint) puddings

Nothing beats the flavour of homemade Christmas pudding, but it’s important to get good-quality fruit and it’s best made at least 1 month in advance.

I love plum pudding, hot or cold, with lashings of cream, but the spiked almond custard is even more special. I always look forward to it. A big thank you to Auntie Maureen for this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 50g (2oz) plain flour
  • 1/2 tsp ground mixed spice
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 225g (8oz) sultanas
  • 175g (6oz) butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
  • 175g (6oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
  • 175g (6oz) light brown sugar
  • 175g (6oz) raisins
  • 50g (2oz) currants
  • 50g (2oz) candied mixed peel
  • 50g (2oz) blanched almonds, hopped
  • 1/2 eating apple, peeled, cored and diced
  • 1/2 small carrot, grated finely grated rind and juice of
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 300ml (1/2 pint) stout
  • fresh redcurrant sprigs, to decorate (optional)
  • icing sugar, to decorate (optional)
  • spiked almond custard, to serve

Method

  1. Sift together the flour, mixed spice, cloves and nutmeg. Add the sultanas, melted butter, breadcrumbs, sugar, raisins, currants, mixed peel, almonds, apple, carrot and the lemon rind and juice and mix until well combined. Gradually add the beaten eggs, stirring constantly, followed by the stout. Mix everything together thoroughly and cover with a clean tea towel, then leave in a cool place overnight.
  2. Use the fruit mixture to fill 2 x 1.2 litre (2 pint) greased pudding bowls. Cover with a double thickness of greaseproof paper and tin foil, then tie tightly under the rim with string. Store in a cool, dry place overnight.
  3. To cook, preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F/gas mark 2).
  4. Stand each pudding basin in a large cake tin three-quarters full of boiling water, then cook in the oven for 6–8 hours (or you can steam them for 6 hours in the usual way). Cool and re-cover with clean greaseproof paper. Again, store in a cool, dry place.
  5. On Christmas Day, re-cover with greaseproof paper and foil. Steam for 2–3 hours, until completely cooked through and tender. Decorate with the redcurrant sprigs and a light dusting of icing sugar, if liked.
  6. To serve, cut the plum pudding into slices and arrange on serving plates. Have a separate jug of the spiked almond custard so that everyone can help themselves.
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Rory O’Connell – sponge filled with preserved raspberries, wrapped in pillowy marshmallow with a scattering of roses @kerrygoldirl


rorysfood
I will be making this beauty on @rteone this evening at 8 30. It’s a sponge filled with preserved raspberries and all wrapped in a pillowy marshmallow before having roses scattered all over it. It’s a special cake for the special people in your life. @kerrygoldirl @nomos.ie #cake #marshmallows #preserves #eat #delicious #ilovetocook
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Give this classic Italian dessert a twist with a delicate creamy vanilla flavour and a fresh strawberry topping @RTEfood @nevenmaguire

By Neven Maguire

Celebrity Chef

Neven Maguire is shortlisted for the Bookselling Ireland Food and Drink Book of the Year in the An Post Irish Book Awards. You can vote at irishbookawards.ie.

Ingredients

Give this classic Italian dessert a twist with a delicate creamy vanilla flavour and a fresh strawberry topping. It’s the perfect dessert for a chilled summer gathering. If you want to make it less rich, simply replace 200ml of the cream with milk.

Serves 4

  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 3 sheets gelatine 600ml cream 100g caster sugar
  • 300g large strawberries (preferably Pat Clarke’s)
  • ½ lemon
  • 2–3 tsp icing sugar, to taste

Method

  1. To make the panna cotta, split the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds . Put the gelatine sheets into a bowl of cold water and leave them to soak for 5 minutes . Put the cream, caster sugar and vanilla seeds into a pan, and slowly bring up to the boil, whisking continuously . Take the pan off the heat . Take
  2. the gelatine out of the water, gently squeeze out the excess water and add to the cream mixture, whisking continuously until it has dissolved . Strain the mixture through a sieve into a measuring jug .
  3. Divide the mixture equally between 4 x 200ml dariole moulds or ramekins, place them on a baking tray and leave them to set in the fridge for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days .
  4. Choose the 4 nicest strawberries for decoration, then cut them in half with the stems intact . Remove the stalks from the remainder, then add to a blender with a squeeze of lemon juice and icing sugar to taste – the amount will depend on how sweet the strawberries are . Blitz to a smooth purée, then pass through a sieve into a jug .
  5. To serve, leave at room temperature for 15 minutes, then turn each panna cotta upside down on to a serving plate . If it won’t drop out, carefully dip the mould briefly into a bowl of warm water to loosen it . Serve with a drizzle of the strawberry compote and the sliced fresh strawberries .

Serve after …
Panna cotta is a brilliant stand-by dessert because it’s quick and simple enough to make in the morning . I leave it to set in the fridge and serve after Fragrant Butterflied Lamb (p .69) with a large bowl of the best strawberries in Ireland . Pat Clarke has been delivering me strawberries for years, and their flavour is sensational.

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Dark Chocolate, Ginger & Hazelnut Oaty Biscuits @flahavans #ToyShow 🕹

flahavans

Happy Late Late Toy Show Day ! 🎉 Why not whip up these Dark Chocolate, Ginger & Hazelnut Oaty Biscuits as a treat for you and the little ones tonight🍫 Crunchy, sweet, and packed with that zingy ginger kick—Enjoy this cookie while you enjoy the show! 😍🍪 #Flahavansirishoats

Serves 18 cookies|Takes 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
150g Flahavan’s Jumbo Porridge Oats
100g sprouted buckwheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1tsp cinnamon
50g toasted blanched hazelnuts, chopped
200g hazelnut butter
120g tahini
90ml coconut oil
60ml ginger syrup, from stem ginger
60ml maple syrup
90g stem ginger, finely chopped
100g Butlers 70% Dark Chocolate bar, finely chopped

METHOD:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4 and line a large baking tray with baking parchment
2. Combine the Flahavan’s Jumbo Oats, buckwheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon and chopped hazelnuts together in a large mixing bowl
3. In a saucepan, mix together the hazelnut butter, tahini, coconut oil, ginger syrup and maple syrup and gently melt over a low heat until combined
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir, slowly folding in the stem ginger
5. Roll the mixture into 18 small balls and place on the baking tray. Gently flatten each ball with a fork and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes (or until brown on the edges)
6. Once cooked, allow to cool for 15 minutes on the baking tray before transferring to a cooling rack. Whilst the cookies are cooling, melt the Butlers 70% Dark Chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water
7. Drizzle the chocolate over them using a teaspoon. Allow the chocolate to cool and set completely, then enjoy or wrap up with some ribbon and treat your friends and family